Apple today announce the expansion of its Emergency SOS via satellite feature to more regions. The satellite connectivity feature is now available to iPhone 14 customers in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Ireland.
The feature is rolling out today. Emergency SOS via satellite allows iPhone 14 users to send short emergency text messages, in places where Wi-Fi and cellular service is unavailable.
The stallite connectivity feature is only designed to be used in emergencies. You cannot send messages to friend or family freely as a replacement for SMS. But if you are in trouble, Emergency SOS via satellite offers a way for people to contact emergency services and alert emergency contacts, as long as you can get a clear view of the sky.
You can also share your current location in the Find My app using satellite. For instance, if you are embarking on a hike into the wilderness, you can use the satellite connection to update your location and inform your family that you have arrived safely.
The satellite service is available for free for two years to all iPhone 14 customers. Apple has not disclosed what the pricing model will be once the free two years is up.
You can trial run the Emergency SOS via satellite feature in supported regions by going to Settings -> Emergency SOS -> Try Demo. This allows users to learn how to point their phone at a satellite overhead and navigate the SOS messaging UI, so they know what to do if they do get into trouble in future.
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