Verizon's New Satellite Texting Service Isn't for iPhone Users

Wednesday March 19, 2025 2:13 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Apple introduced satellite connectivity for iPhones back in 2022, and since then, satellite messaging options have become the new must-have feature for carriers and other smartphone manufacturers.

verizon
Verizon today announced the launch of its satellite-based text service, which is available for select Android smartphone users through a partnership with Skylo. Skylo uses licensed mobile satellite spectrum that avoids interference with terrestrial signals to provide coverage in remote areas where there isn't traditional cellular signal.

Satellite texting through Verizon is only available for Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 smartphones, and unlike T-Mobile's Starlink integration, Verizon isn't able to expand the Skylo satellite texting option to iPhone users because it requires specific smartphone hardware.

‌iPhone‌ users with an ‌iPhone‌ 14 or later already have access to satellite-based texting as of iOS 18 using the ‌iPhone‌'s built-in satellite connectivity available through Globalstar, but the option to connect to satellites from a second satellite company could increase the chance of being able to communicate in remote and rural areas.

Apple added Starlink support to T-Mobile iPhones with iOS 18.3, and T-Mobile subscribers are able to connect to Starlink for satellite-based texting thanks to a public beta test that T-Mobile is offering. Compared to Apple's built-in satellite option, Starlink has more available satellites and smartphones can connect automatically without needing to hold a device up to the sky.

While Verizon's Skylo satellite texting isn't available on the ‌iPhone‌ right now, Verizon is working on other satellite technology. The company is partnering with AST SpaceMobile to offer customers direct-to-cellular AST SpaceMobile service when terrestrial mobile networks are unavailable. When Verizon's AST SpaceMobile satellite partnership is ready, Verizon will likely be able to offer satellite texting for both ‌iPhone‌ and Android users.

AST SpaceMobile and Verizon plan to provide satellite connectivity that supports text, voice, and video calling capabilities. AST SpaceMobile currently has FCC approval to test five commercial BlueBird satellites with smartphones.

Tag: Verizon

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Top Rated Comments

JosephAW

12 months ago

Great. The EU will add this to the list of things the iPhone must support. o_O

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

ProbablyDylan

12 months ago

As per the earlier article today (https://www.macrumors.com/2025/03/19/apple-eu-interoperability-bad-for-products-users/), maybe the EU should go after Verizon to force them into making it available to iPhone users :).

Pretty sure Verizon doesn't do business in the EU. Nice try though.

Great. The EU will add this to the list of things the iPhone must support. o_O

Would be pretty fun to see the EU force Apple to innovate!

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

xmach

12 months ago

Are there any available technical details to explain what hardware that the Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 phones have that iPhones do not such that Verizon customers using Samsung and Google phones are able to use this Skylo satellite connectivity?

Does this have to do with the modems in the S25 and Pixel 9? The antennas? Both? Something else?

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

sw1tcher

12 months ago

Are there any available technical details to explain what hardware that the Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 phones have that iPhones do not such that Verizon customers using Samsung and Google phones are able to use this Skylo satellite connectivity?

Device needs a modem that's compatible with Skylo's NB-NTN (NarrowBand-Internet of Things Non-Terrestrial Networks) Radio Access Network (RAN). Both the Snapdragon X80 ('https://www.skylo.tech/newsroom/skylo-introduces-satellite-connectivity-for-smartphones-with-snapdragon#:~:text=Snapdragon%20Modem%2DRF%20systems%20are%20synonymous%20with%20mobility,all%20testing%20and%20is%20now%20Skylo%20certified.') 5G Modem found in the Samsung Galaxy S25 and the Exynos Modem 5400 ('https://www.skylo.tech/newsroom/skylo-certifies-the-samsung-exynos-modem-5400-on-its-non-terrestrial-network#:~:text=Skylo%20Certifies%20the%20Samsung%20Exynos%20Modem%205400,connectivity%2C%20available%20through%20their%20mobile%20service%20provider.') used in the Pixel 9 are compatible with it.

The modems found in iPhones (e.g. Snapdragon SDX71M in iPhone 16 Pro, Snapdragon SDX70M in iPhone 15 Pro) do not support it.

More info here:

https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/androids-space-pixel-9-sos-service-takes#:~:text=Farrar%20said%20he%20is%20not%20sure%20if,phones%20to%20satellites%20via%20its%20RAN%20infrastructure.

Google is getting into the space race. Following Apple’s launch of a satellite-based SOS emergency messaging service with the iPhone 14 in 2022, Google announced its new Pixel 9 Android phones, launched this week, can tap into satellite connectivity during a crisis.

But there's a catch.

The free emergency service, which uses Skylo’s radio access network (RAN) system on the ground to connect with Echostar, Viasat, Ligado Networks and TerreStar satellites, will be “limited” to start with, according to Tim Farrar, analyst at TMF Associates.

[ . . . ]

Skylo uses the 3GPP 5G release 17 non-terrestrial network (NTN) specification ('https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/releases/release-17') to connect 5G phones to satellites via its RAN infrastructure.

[ . . . ]

Samsung said in February 2023 that it will integrate the 5G NTN technology into its Exynos modem. Its S24 Galaxy Android smartphones didn’t support this technology; instead, they focused on consumer artificial intelligence.

Our guess is the technology will likely arrive in the S25.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

X38

12 months ago

Not been following Skylo, but looking it up now, doesn’t sound very interesting. Seems to rely on existing geostationary comsats - impressive range, but seems unlikely it will ever be capable of much bandwidth. Doesn’t seem practical they will be able to compete with the likes of AST Spacemobile. Which is also compatible with just about any contemporary smart phone as-is.

So the Android exclusivity on the Skylo thing seems pretty meh.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)