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

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT 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 simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Seeds Revised iOS 26 Developer Beta to Fix Battery Issue

Friday June 13, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device. The revised beta addresses an...
Mac Studio Feature

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Mac Studio With M4 Max and M3 Ultra Chips at a Discount

Thursday June 12, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple today added Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips to its online certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and many European countries, for the first time since they were released in March. As usual for refurbished Macs, prices are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent new models on Apple's online store. Note that Apple's ...
m4 macbook air pink

Apple Now Selling Refurbished M4 MacBook Air Models

Friday June 13, 2025 3:34 pm PDT by
Apple today added M4 MacBook Air models to its refurbished store in the United States, making the latest MacBook Air devices available at a discounted price for the first time since they launched earlier this year. Both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models are available, with Apple offering multiple capacities and configurations. The refurbished devices are discounted by approximately 15...

Top Rated Comments

lusty Avatar
9 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)
Pezimak Avatar
9 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: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pacmania1982 Avatar
9 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
9 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
9 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
9 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)