Emergency SOS via Satellite now available in more countries with iOS 16.4
Emergency SOS via Satellite was one of the highlighted features during Apple's September '22 keynote, where the iPhone 14 was revealed. It was touted as an exclusive feature for the iPhone 14, meant to attract more consumers towards the latest and greatest iPhones. However, contrary to popular belief, Emergency SOS via Satellite has only been made available in a few select markets, and is not widely available.
However, those living in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, or Portugal may feel like they are among the chosen ones, as Apple has made the Emergency SOS via Satellite service available for all iPhone 14 users with iOS 16.4 in these countries.
The service is now live and all you have to do to enable it, is update your device to iOS 16.4. You can simply do this through your Settings app, simply by tapping on General - Software Update.
Emergency SOS via Satellite should be considered one of the least used features ever, as it can be used only in extreme situations. However, having this option available in emergency situations when no network coverage is available can be a lifesaver. This is why we need more countries added in Apple’s supported coverage network.
“Besides, chances are that people who can’t use this feature have paid significantly more to purchase their iPhone 14 than those living in some of the supported countries.”
How it works
If users are unable to dial 112, they can easily access emergency services by holding down the side button and one of the volume buttons until the ‘Emergency SOS’ slider appears. If there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, the iPhone's satellite interface helps the user establish a connection with emergency services by answering a short questionnaire, which includes information about the user's location, situation and medical history.
After completing the questionnaire, the user is guided to point their iPhone towards the sky to establish a connection with the satellite. Apple has designed and built specific components and software that allow the iPhone 14 to connect to the unique frequencies of a satellite without a bulky antenna. To reduce message size, a text compression algorithm has been developed, making the experience as fast as possible. With SOS emergencies via satellite, the user can send and receive messages in as little as 15 seconds in clear skies.
Apple highlights that: “The user who goes to areas not covered by cellular or Wi-Fi, even if they are not in an emergency situation, can always use this advanced technology to share their location via satellite with the Find My app. In the Find My app, the user can open the ‘Me’ tab, swipe up to view their location via satellite, and tap ‘Send My Location’. The satellite connection on the iPhone 14 line also works with other security features available on iPhone and Apple Watch, including Accident Detection and Fall Detection.”
Users can also test the satellite connectivity on their iPhone using the built-in demo without contacting emergency services, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the procedure and understand how the service works.
According to Apple, users: “who purchased an iPhone 14 model before the Satellite Emergency SOS feature was available will receive two years of service free of charge from the date the service is available.”
