iPhone Roadside Assistance via Satellite Feature Now Available in UK

Apple's Roadside Assistance via Satellite feature for iPhones is now live in the United Kingdom, based on a recent update to Apple's support documentation.

apple roadside assistance
The quiet launch follows Apple's announcement during its iPhone 16 event in September that the feature would expand to the UK later in the year.

Roadside Assistance via Satellite enables iPhone users to contact breakdown services in areas without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. UK breakdown rescue service Green Flag has partnered with Apple to provide assistance to stranded motorists via the feature in areas with poor connectivity.

According to the updated support page, the service is available on a pay-per-use basis for those who are not Green Flag members, though specific pricing details have not been disclosed. Apple offers its satellite services, including Roadside Assistance, free for the first two years with the purchase of an iPhone 14 or later.

For Roadside Assistance via Satellite to work when outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, users need to be in an open area with a clear view of the sky and horizon, according to Apple.

To use the feature, open the Messages app and start a new message. Next, type "roadside" into the address field, and a "Roadside Assistance" option will appear. Tap on "Roadside Assistance" and follow the on-screen instructions to connect your iPhone to a satellite and request help.

The feature is compatible with iPhone 14 and newer models running iOS 17 or later. The UK expansion follows Apple's established partnerships with AAA and Verizon Roadside Assistance in the US.

(Thanks, Jack!)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
google pixel 10

Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....

Top Rated Comments

Pezimak Avatar
15 months ago

What network are you on? I haven't had no signal at all whilst being on road where this feature would be used in a long time.
Three and EE. And I am in Dorset and there are black spots. The UK does not have coverage everywhere. The 3G switch off has also made it worst in some areas on different networks. This feature will certainly help in more rural areas.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lusty Avatar
15 months ago
So in an emergency I have to remember that I need to write a message to “roadside” that’s not in my address book to access what we call breakdown assistance in the Uk.

Does anyone remember when Apple made things easy to use? Jobs wouldn’t have let this get past the testing phase with an interface like that.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pacmania1982 Avatar
15 months ago
Don't forget like MOST of the highlands in Scotland and especially on the islands. This would be super cool for them. I didn't realise iMessage via satellite hadn't rolled out here so couldn't work out why I couldn't do it on a ferry in the middle of the Bay of Biscay a few weeks back.

I'd also like to know what the ongoing price for this will be too. Originally when all the satellite stuff was launched with the iPhone 14 (Pro/Pro Max??) - Apple said it was going to be free for two years. Hasn't it been two years now for those who bought iPhones and tried it then? No mention of costs moving forwards and it's only going to get bigger.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pezimak Avatar
15 months ago
Possibly quite a useful feature, glad to see it in the UK. Never know when you may need it and the UK doesn’t have coverage everywhere… despite it being 2024 and the UK being a not huge island. A bug bear of mine living in the UK.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Poisednoise Avatar
15 months ago
Quite a coup for Green Flag I would imagine, given that they are surely number three for roadside assistance in the UK by quite a long way.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Poisednoise Avatar
15 months ago

In GB you have to go to the left side of the forest, then it works (sry but i had to...) ?.
Wondering whether it’s worth pointing out that over a third of the world’s population, including that of the world’s most populous country, drive on the left. It’s not as uncommon as you might think.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)