Emergency SOS via satellite is now available for iPhone users in the US
Apple has announced that Emergency SOS via satellite feature for iPhone 14 is finally available in the USA and Canada starting today. The service is planned to rollout on other territories including Germany, France, the UK, and Ireland this coming December.
The lifesaving feature debuted with the iPhone 14 (Plus) and 14 Pro (Max) a couple of months ago. It relies on orbiting satellites in providing connections to users that are away or without access to Wi-Fi or cellular coverage. It's only today that users in the two countries can take advantage of this tool exclusive to the four iPhone models at first.
How does Emergency SOS via satellite work on iPhone 14
The feature is presented when a supported iPhone does not have access to a cellular network or Wi-Fi. Crucially, a user is prompted with an emergency text via a satellite button on the call screen. Once initiated, they need to follow the instructions on how to connect to a satellite first before moving on to a set of questionnaires that require to be answered.
Apple says these questions are vital and were produced through the help of experts in streamlining the process when taking emergency incidents. These include details like location, altitude, and even your iPhone's battery status that are sent to dispatchers. If users cannot reach dispatchers, Apple has placed a relay center to assess these reports while assisting the users.
Aside from the SOS function, users can also share their location with their preferred contacts such as family and friends. They can access this through the Find My app in the Me profile section. Apple says the Emergency SOS via satellite can operate in tandem with Crash Detection feature that is available on Apple Series 8 and Watch Ultra smartwatches.
Aside from the hardware requirement, the compatible iPhone should be running on the latest iOS 16.1 or newer.
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