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

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...

Top Rated Comments

42 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
42 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
42 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
42 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)
42 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)
42 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)