With the Emergency SOS via satellite rolling out for iPhone 14 users in the U.S. and Canada today, customers in other regions might be feeling left out, but that will only be a temporary phase. The company announced that while the feature will initially be available in two countries, it will expand to others in just a month.
Emergency SOS via Satellite To Be Available for Free for Two Years
There was a previous report stating that Apple would bring Emergency SOS via satellite to other countries in the near future, but no specific timeline was given. Thankfully, the company has provided those details for you, along with the regions where the satellite feature will expand to.
“Emergency SOS via satellite and Find My via satellite are available today in the US and Canada, and will be available in France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. The service will be included for free for two years starting at the time of activation of a new iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.”
To start using Emergency SOS via satellite, iPhone 14 owners need to have iOS 16.1 installed on their devices. Additionally, Apple was kind enough to give us a clear outlook on the conditions necessary for the feature to work optimally. Since there is a massive distance between you and the satellite, it will take some time for the messages to be sent across both mediums.
Apple states that in ideal conditions, which is when you have an open sky with little to no obstructions, it can take up to 15 seconds for messages to be received. If there are emergency services available in your area, they will respond accordingly and assist you in any manner possible.
We also have a detailed explanatory article on how Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite functions and what kind of limitations you can face when using it for the first time. Make sure to read that when you are free because there is a ton of valuable information that will keep you prepared when you fire up the feature.
News Source: Apple
