Apple’s Emergency SOS Feature Can Save Your Life in an Emergency

This week, an avalanche killed eight people who were on a ski touring expedition on Lake Tahoe. One person is also missing, but presumed dead. This story is tragic but, miraculously, six members of the group survived the disaster. According to the New York TimesThese skiers were rescued using a standard iPhone feature, Emergency SOS via satellite, which allowed them to connect to emergency services from wherever they were trapped by snow.

If you own an iPhone, you probably have this feature too. Best of all, it’s not difficult to activate in an emergency, although it doesn’t hurt to know exactly how it works in advance. This isn’t the first time satellite emergency SOS has been credited with saving lives during disasters, and knowing it now could potentially save your life in a future emergency.

What is emergency SOS via satellite?

You may be familiar with your iPhone’s Emergency SOS feature: you may even have accidentally triggered it by clicking the buttons too many times in a row. Emergency SOS allows you to quickly dial 911 in an emergency.

But satellite emergency SOS is different. This feature connects you to emergency services when you are in an area without cell service. Where a typical 911 call would be routed through your carrier’s network, Satellite Emergency SOS connects your call or message to the nearest satellite overhead. This means that, as long as conditions are right, you can contact emergency services from virtually anywhere in the world, whether or not that area has cellular networks.

Of course, since communications are carried via satellite, the experience is very different from that of a standard cellular connection. Apple says that in “ideal conditions” with clear skies, messages can take 30 seconds to send. Less ideal conditions, such as if your view of the sky is blocked by trees, could slow down a message by up to 60 seconds or more.

Apple first launched this feature with the iPhone 14, but since iOS 18 you can send text messages anyone by satellite. The principle is the same, but you can contact friends and family instead of 911. If there’s an emergency, but one that you don’t need the police, fire, or paramedics for, this can connect you to close friends, no matter where you are.

How to use emergency SOS via satellite

To connect to satellite with your iPhone, you will need an iPhone 14 or later. You’ll also need to use iOS 16.1 in the United States and Canada, although other regions have their own software requirements. The feature is currently available in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.

You will not be able to connect to satellite services when you have a connection, cellular or wifi. Instead, the option appears when you have no service. Once this happens, the iOS connection wizard will ask you if you want to connect to the satellite. If you miss the prompt, you can launch it from the Cellular tile in Control Center or from Settings > Satellite.

Once the connection wizard launches, it will guide you through connecting to your nearest satellite, including with on-screen visuals, but here’s the gist: you’ll need to be outside with as clear a view of the sky as possible. Apple says “light” to “medium” foliage on trees could slow down messages, while “dense” foliage, hills, mountains or tall structures could prevent connection.

Apple says you can hold your iPhone as you normally would (no need to point it at the sky), but you may be asked to move left or right depending on the satellite’s location. Apple also says the connection may not work in locations above 62° latitude, which includes northern Alaska.

Once connected, the first thing to do is try to call 911. The call may even go through satellite, but if not, you will have the option to send an “emergency text message.” Tap this option, then choose the appropriate services (roadside assistance or emergency services.). You can also open the Messages app, text 911, then choose “Emergency Services.” Here, tap “Report an emergency,” then answer the questions when asked to describe the situation you’re in. You can also choose to automatically notify emergency contacts that you’ve contacted 911. From there, your iPhone shares all of this information, along with your location, remaining iPhone battery life, and medical ID (if configured), with responders.

Is emergency SOS via satellite free?

Yes! (For now.) Since its launch, Satellite Emergency SOS has been free to use, although Apple officially says the feature is free for two years after activating an iPhone. The company pushed back this deadline for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users last year, so no iPhones have had to pay for the feature yet. The company could continue to push it back or start charging, but there’s no word on pricing at this time.

It’s worth noting that T-Mobile also has its own satellite feature. If you have the service and an iPhone 13 or later, you can use their satellite connectivity services instead.