Today, Apple has announced that its new Emergency SOS via satellite is now available for all iPhone 14 models within the US and Canada.
Announced last week that the feature would arrive sometime this month, iPhone 14 users will now be able to contact emergency services without a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. The service will also arrive to France, Germany, Ireland and the UK this December.
Apple’s Emergency SOS Via Satellite is Now Available for iPhone 14 Users
With Apple announcing last week that the service would arrive sometime this month, the company has officially announced that its Emergency SOS via satellite is now live. This is in thanks to a $450 million investment in U.S. infrastructure.
Along with iPhone 14 users now being able to contact emergency services without the need of a cellular or Wi-Fi connection, the new service also allows users to notify their friends and family of their off-the-grid whereabouts in thanks to the Find My app. Users simply need to open the Find My app and share their location through satellite.
In a press release, Apple stated,
“Some of the most popular places to travel are off the beaten path and simply lack cellular coverage. With Emergency SOS via satellite, the iPhone 14 lineup provides an indispensable tool that can get users the help they need while they are off the grid,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Our teams worked tirelessly to tackle a new set of technical challenges to bring this service to life, in addition to building a reliable on-the-ground infrastructure. Emergency SOS via satellite is a breakthrough service available only on the iPhone 14 lineup, and a new innovation that we hope will provide our customers some peace of mind.”
As of now, the new Emergency SOS via satellite feature is available across the entire iPhone 14 lineup. The new feature now allows emergency call centers, or Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to have the ability to connect with even more users that may be involved in an emergency. Users will either be able to connect directly with services that are able to receive text messages, or users will be able to contact “Apple-trained emergency service specialists” that can relay the message to PSAPs.
The new feature works through the iPhone by connecting with satellites should a user need to contact emergency services without using a cellular connection or Wi-Fi. Their iPhone will then ask them a series of questions which emergency services will receive. These questions will help responders get more context for a user’s situation and location.
Questions include:
- What’s the emergency?
- Who needs help?
- Is anyone injured?
- What best describes the injury?
Keeping Users Safe
Additionally, emergency services will also receive information regarding the user’s responses to the questions, location (including altitude), battery level of iPhone and Medical ID if the user has it enabled. In terms of the message sent to emergency services, Apple has also composed an algorithm that is capable of reducing the size of messages by 300 percent. Users will be able to send and receive messages in as little as 15 seconds “in clear conditions” thanks to Emergency SOS via satellite.
Users are also able to test their connection to satellites to see if they are in range. This also allows users to familiarize themselves with said service.
Concerning the Find My app, users are able to share their location through the app using satellites. Users simply need to open the app, go to the Me tab, swipe up to view My Location and then send their location. It is also worth noting that the new satellites also work with other iPhone 14 and Apple Watch features, including Fall and Crash detection.
Lastly, Apple stated that the service will be free for two years the moment a user activates their iPhone 14. The company did not mention a cost once the two years are over. The new Emergency SOS via satellite also requires iOS 16.1.
What do you think about Apple’s new Emergency SOS via satellite feature? Let us know in the comments.