Apple Expected to Expand Emergency SOS via Satellite to the UK on December 13

Apple could expand the Emergency SOS via Satellite and Find My via satellite functionality to the United Kingdom as soon as next week, according to a source that spoke to MacRumors. Emergency services personnel in the country have been told that calls from the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will be routed to local emergency services facilities starting on Tuesday, December 13.

Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone YT
Emergency SOS via Satellite launched in the United States and Canada last month, and at the time, Apple said that it would expand to France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. Apple did not provide a specific date, but the December 13 date we've heard from the UK source makes sense. It is not clear if the expansion will also include France, Germany, and Ireland, but it seems likely, and this could also be the day we see iOS 16.2 launch.

Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature is available to all iPhone 14 users running iOS 16.1 in supported countries and it is free to use for two years. It is designed to allow iPhone users to make emergency calls using satellite connectivity outdoors when no cellular or WiFi connection is available.


Satellite connectivity can also be used to update a ‌Find My‌ location without WiFi or cellular connectivity through the ‌Find My‌ app.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...

Top Rated Comments

bigchrisfgb Avatar
21 months ago

Never being more than 5 mins from a McDonalds or a greggs it seems fairly pointless in the UK ?
A few years ago my sister and some work colleagues did a charity walk up a mountain in Northumberland. The weather unexpectedly turned and starting snowing heavily, and they got stranded. One person lost a shoe in the snow and almost lost their foot due to hypothermia. They had no signal and couldn’t my get in contact with anyone.
Fortunately they were all NHS staff and the charity they were walking for was the air ambulance, so people in the emergency services went looking for them when they never showed up at the agreed time.

Emergency SOS could have got them all down much quicker that day, and saved them from having to endure as much as they went though.

There is still many areas of the U.K. without a phone signal, and these tend to be the most dangerous areas in bad weather etc.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markfc Avatar
21 months ago
Never being more than 5 mins from a McDonalds or a greggs it seems fairly pointless in the UK ?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danfango Avatar
21 months ago

Pretty useless in the UK given the good network coverage by all the main network providers
Not as good coverage as you might expect, particularly in hilly areas.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danfango Avatar
21 months ago
Oh goody. I still can't get lost in the middle of nowhere here (the UK). I've tried.

Was out in one of the most remote bits of Peak District in the middle of last winter at night, unzipped to go for a pee and someone appeared with a head torch!

Same bloody thing happened a few years back when I was bagging some Munros.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lihp8270 Avatar
21 months ago

Pretty useless in the UK given the good network coverage by all the main network providers
Chances are that if you’re lost somewhere in the UK with risk to your life you’ll unlikely have regular signal. Even passing over Pennines can leave you with no connection. Never mind in more mountainous regions.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
schmidt65 Avatar
21 months ago

Pretty useless in the UK given the good network coverage by all the main network providers
Wouldn’t say useless at all. I was in the middle of the cairngorms this summer and was without any service for most of the trip - would have been great if my wife/family could have tracked me on ‘find my’ - we used a satellite tracker that cost around £70 for the trip instead
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)