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

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new 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. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...

Top Rated Comments

icanhazmac Avatar
34 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
34 months ago
Cool feature to go global!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
russell_314 Avatar
34 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
34 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
34 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
34 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)