iPhone's Life-Saving Satellite Feature Launching in Additional Countries Next Year

In a press release this week, Apple said the iPhone 14's life-saving Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will be supported in additional countries next year. However, Apple did not provide a list of countries where the feature will be expanding to next.

Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone YT
Emergency SOS via Satellite first launched in November in the U.S. and Canada and requires an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 16.1 or later. The service became available in France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK earlier this week, with iOS 16.2 required for some local emergency service numbers. The service is free for two years starting at the time of activation of an iPhone 14 model.

From an Apple support document about using Emergency SOS via Satellite:

In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 911. In France, call or text 112, 15, 17, 18, 114, 119, 191, and 196. In Germany, text 112 and 110. In Ireland and the U.K., call or text 999 or 112.

You need iOS 16.2 to connect to emergency services via satellite when you call or text 15, 17, 18, 114, 119, 191, and 196 in France, 110 in Germany, and 999 in Ireland. The availability of these additional emergency numbers might also depend on your cellular carrier.

The feature allows iPhone 14 models to connect to a Globalstar satellite, enabling users to send text messages to emergency services when outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Apple says a text message might take 15 seconds to send via satellite in "ideal conditions with a direct view of the sky and the horizon," but foliage or other obstructions can result in messages taking longer to send or failing to send. Apple says satellite connectivity also might not work in places above 62° latitude, such as northern parts of Alaska and Canada.

Already, there have been reports of Emergency SOS via Satellite helping first responders rescue people in places like Alaska and California.

iPhone users should consult Apple's support document for important details about the feature.

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Update for iPhones Coming Soon — Here's What to Expect

Thursday September 25, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. MacRumors has also seen evidence of iOS 26.0.1 in its visitor logs in recent days. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple More Personal Siri Ad

Apple Responds to U.S. Class Action Lawsuit Over Delayed Siri Features

Friday September 26, 2025 6:57 am PDT by
In March, Apple delayed the launch of its personalized Siri features, and soon after the company was hit with multiple class action lawsuits over the situation. The plaintiffs said they never would have purchased an iPhone 16, or would have paid less, had they known Apple's marketing about the Siri features was false. In the U.S., all of the complaints were consolidated into one class...

Top Rated Comments

icanhazmac Avatar
36 months ago

"Life saving"...for an additional fee.
So?

Every single thing comes at a cost. Satellites aren't cheap, someone has to pay that cost and if one is normally "off the grid" I'm sure that the cost of access to this system is the least of their concerns.

Great feature for those that need/want it!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
36 months ago
Cool feature to go global!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
russell_314 Avatar
36 months ago

How is it life-saving if it hasn't saved a life yet? Wouldn't it be "potentially life-saving" at this point?
It already has saved at least one life in the USA
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
36 months ago
This is awesome! Such an underrated feature. Saves Human lives one at a time :).

Edit: Typo.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BobSc Avatar
36 months ago

"Life saving"...for an additional fee.
With each Apple satellite thread the posts become more and more childish and pathetic. How sad that a comment like this would actually be made? And the particular nonsense issue of cost has been made dozens of times. At least be original with insightful comments. Another addition to the ignore file.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ratspg Avatar
36 months ago

EPIRBS and Garmin devices exist, but it's nice when it is built in to the phone.
It’s an amazing feature to have built in to something like the iPhone. Higher probability the person will have it on them.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)