Apple Now Adds 6 More Countries to Satellite SOS iPhone Feature: All the Details

Apple is slowly expanding its SOS satellite feature to iPhone users. The company has already made it available in six countries, including the US, Canada and parts of Europe. Now iPhone users can also try it in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Portugal.

With this announcement, Apple now offers the SOS satellite communication feature to iPhone 14 series users in 12 countries. The availability of the service will start later this month, according to the company’s information.

Apple says that all models in the iPhone 14 collection – iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max support this feature.

“Emergency SOS via satellite builds on existing features important to iPhone users, including Emergency, Medical ID, emergency contact information, and Find My location sharing, providing the ability to connect to a satellite,” Apple states in a blog post. Apple will offer the service free of charge for two years, after which the company will likely offer it as a service package through Apple’s subscription model.

iPhone 14 SOS connection feature: How it works

Any iPhone 14 user who is stuck in an area with no network or Wi-Fi signal will see the interface on their phone screen. It asks the person to describe the emergency, which ranges from being stuck or lost to others. It can be related to steep terrain, a cave or water. Apple says you can point the iPhone at the sky, where it will appear to connect to an available satellite in the area.

Apple says that in clear conditions, a message can be sent and received in about 15 seconds. This feature can be vital for people stuck in a natural disaster and connects to the Find My app to get the location of the person in trouble. Apple has invested $450 million in the development of critical infrastructure that supports emergency service via satellite for iPhone 14 models.

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