On Tuesday, Apple finally released its Emergency SOS via satellite service to customers in the United States and Canada. When the regular cellular connection is unavailable, the service nevertheless lets users of Apple’s newest iPhones make calls to emergency services or update loved ones on their whereabouts and condition through satellite.
All of Apple’s most current premium iPhone models (the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max) are compatible with Emergency SOS via satellite. The most recent version of iOS already includes this feature, therefore no more downloads are required.
When you call for help via the satellite-based Emergency SOS service, you’ll be asked a series of questions designed to help assess the gravity of the issue. After you’ve finished filling it out, the phone will walk you through a series of steps to ensure it’s facing the right direction to communicate with the satellite.
All of your questionnaire results, your present location (including altitude), the percentage of battery life remaining in your iPhone, and the status of your Medical ID will be sent to you. Your emergency contacts can also be given access to the transcript. Voice calls are not supported since they are impractical with the satellites utilized or in some other circumstances.
This is what Apple had to say in its official blog post: Satellite-based “Emergency Alert System” The ITU Radio Regulations state that “utilizes the spectrum in L and S bands expressly reserved for mobile satellite services,” and Apple claims that their technology “utilizes” this spectrum.
US-based corporation Globalstar relays the signal to one of its 24 satellites via its many ground stations. If the best response site is not able to receive text messages, the message will be sent to “Apple-trained emergency professionals.” PSAPs are emergency contact centers that are strategically located to handle calls from the public.
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You can practice calling for help in an emergency by testing your satellite connection first. You can also utilize the Find My app and the satellite network to let someone know where you are. During the first two years after activating a new iPhone, emergency SOS via satellite is free of charge. Apple has released an extensive support article explaining how to make use of the addition.