How to Use the iPhone 14's Emergency Satellite SOS - WIRED

One of the caller features that arrived alongside the iPhone 14 handsets successful September 2022 was a diagnostic that Apple calls “Emergency SOS via satellite”—and the sanction tells you beauteous overmuch each you request to know.

Apple says it's intended for “exceptional circumstances erstwhile nary different means of reaching the exigency services are available.” When you're successful occupation and you can't get a Wi-Fi awesome oregon a fastener connected a compartment tower, your iPhone 14 volition marque interaction with a outer and nonstop retired your plea for assistance that way.

Be warned, though, this isn't a backup net transportation for idiosyncratic use. The outer transportation is dilatory and limited, and it's truly lone suitable for transmitting cardinal accusation astir your situation: wherever you are, what information you're in, and what you request assistance with.

To usage the Emergency SOS via outer function, you request an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, oregon an iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple hasn't discussed semipermanent pricing yet, but it has made the work escaped for 2 years erstwhile you bargain a compatible device.

How Emergency SOS via Satellite Works

Emergency SOS via outer becomes disposable lone erstwhile you're successful an country without immoderate Wi-Fi oregon cellular coverage—otherwise it's expected that you tin get successful interaction with exigency services oregon your trusted contacts successful the mean way. Ideally, you request a wide presumption of the entity and the horizon, arsenic obstructions similar foliage and mountains tin dilatory oregon adjacent artifact your outer connection.

Even successful cleanable conditions with the champion outer lock, messages tin instrumentality 15 seconds to send. That mightiness look primitive, but there's a batch of awesome exertion here—not slightest the mode that Apple has fitted outer connectivity into thing arsenic svelte arsenic the iPhone 14. (Check retired the size of a regular outer telephone to spot what we mean.)

As you would privation successful a stressful exigency situation, your telephone volition usher you done everything you request to do, and that includes moving the iPhone to enactment locked to a satellite. (This tin beryllium done adjacent erstwhile the handset itself is locked.) The diagnostic works successful operation with the different information options connected the iPhone, truthful you tin nonstop exigency responders accusation from the Medical ID conception of the Health app, for example.