How to Use the iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite to Contact 911 - CNET

Some of the astir important upgrades successful the iPhone 14 are inconspicuous tools and services that, ideally, you'll hopefully ne'er need. Emergency SOS via Satellite, which Apple announced successful September, is 1 specified diagnostic -- and I had the accidental to effort it out.

Beyond the clouds and sky, hundreds of miles supra the Earth, flying by astatine 16,000 mph, are communications satellites. They're excessively precocious to beryllium seen by the quality eye, but could beryllium captious for getting you assistance erstwhile you (or idiosyncratic you love) is stranded, injured and retired of compartment work range. The iPhone 14 tin link to these satellites to interaction an exigency dispatcher adjacent erstwhile you can't marque a telephone call. You tin besides stock your determination with loved ones via a outer without sending a message.

Like Car Crash Detection, Emergency SOS via Satellite is thing you anticipation you won't ever person to marque usage of. But if you're wondering however it works, I had the accidental to trial it retired astatine Apple Park. If you privation to effort the work retired for yourself, Apple added successful a built-in demo mode that lets you link to a outer without calling 911.

How to usage Emergency SOS via Satellite connected the iPhone 14

The archetypal happening you request to cognize astir Emergency SOS via Satellite is that you don't request to cognize anything. The work is designed to enactment connected its own, and the interface volition locomotion you done the process measurement by step.

The 2nd happening you should cognize is that utilizing Emergency SOS is equivalent to calling 911. In fact, that's really however you usage it. Dial 911, and if your telephone can't connect, an enactment to substance exigency services via outer appears. To get started, pat the Emergency Text via Satellite button. (You tin besides spell to Messages to substance 911 oregon SOS, and past pat Emergency Services.)

When I tried the diagnostic out, determination was a outer icon connected the apical close country of the phone, wherever my compartment awesome usually is.

Next, pat Report Emergency. Since a backmost and distant speech isn't imaginable implicit a outer transportation similar a regular phone, Apple worked with exigency dispatchers to make a signifier that gathers the indispensable accusation they request successful bid to respond. Those details are compressed into a connection that's a 3rd the size of a regular substance truthful that it tin beryllium sent to a outer successful debased Earth orbit.

Using taps, you reply the exigency questions based connected your situation. The types of emergencies you tin take are:

• Car oregon Vehicle Issue
• Sickness oregon Injury
• Crime
• Lost oregon Trapped
• Fire

Depending connected your emergency, you'll get antithetic follow-up prompts and questions. You tin besides notify your exigency contacts.

Kevin Heinz/CNET

Next, onscreen directions volition assistance you link to a satellite. The interface is elemental and guides you done uncovering a outer and staying connected. As the outer moved, I was prompted to displacement near oregon close to support the connection. And contempt a cloudy, rainy day, the connectivity worked wrong 20 to 30 seconds. But it could instrumentality a infinitesimal oregon much to connect, particularly if determination is airy foliage.

Once you're connected, your iPhone starts a substance speech with exigency responders and shares the exigency questionnaire answers, your determination (including elevation), captious accusation similar your aesculapian ID and exigency interaction accusation (if you person acceptable them up) and the remaining artillery beingness for your iPhone.

You mightiness beryllium asked questions done further messages, similar wherever you're located oregon whether you person medication.

At the apical of the screen, a model shows your transportation to the outer and the presumption of your messages. Emergency dispatchers person your messages and respond via text. If your section exigency services don't enactment substance messages, Apple has acceptable up relay centers with operators who enactment arsenic an intermediary betwixt you and exigency dispatch.

Which iPhone models enactment Emergency SOS via Satellite?

The work volition beryllium disposable present on:

• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max

Emergency SOS mightiness beryllium 1 of the astir important features to travel retired connected immoderate telephone this year.

Kevin Heinz/CNET

Can I effort retired Emergency SOS via Satellite?

Yes, benignant of. Apple created a demo mode that lets your iPhone link to a outer without calling oregon contacting 911. The acquisition is astir identical to what I did, but you are not contacting exigency services.

To commencement the demo, spell extracurricular and unfastened Settings. Then, pat Emergency SOS and scroll to the bottommost to effort the demo.

The Emergency SOS via Satellite demo turns disconnected your cellular transportation and gives you a preview of the exigency questionnaire. But again, it's not really contacting exigency services.

Apple made a demo mode that lets you really link to a satellite.

Kevin Heinz/CNET

Next, the demo walks you done uncovering a satellite. It's a bully mode to familiarize yourself with the diagnostic should you ever request it. (Plus, connecting your iPhone to a outer is conscionable cool.)

How bash I stock my determination utilizing a satellite?

Another mode to usage outer connectivity connected your iPhone is sharing your determination to fto friends and household cognize wherever you are without messaging them.

In the Find My app, pat the Me tab. When you grow the tab, you'll spot a caller conception called My Location via Satellite. Tap Send My Location. You'll beryllium prompted to find and link to a satellite. In the clip I spent trying Emergency SOS via outer astatine Apple Park, this peculiar measurement took minutes to nonstop my location.

A neat mode to stock your determination erstwhile you're retired of scope of a compartment awesome is with a outer successful the Find My app.

Kevin Heinz/CNET

Where tin I usage Emergency SOS via Satellite?

Currently it's disposable successful the US (including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands) and Canada. The work volition grow to France, Germany, Ireland and the UK adjacent month. But you don't request to unrecorded successful these places to usage this feature. Emergency SOS work is besides disposable for radical visiting the US and Canada, unless they bought their iPhone 14 successful China, Hong Kong oregon Macao.

Can I usage Emergency SOS via Satellite indoors?

No. You request to beryllium extracurricular and person a nonstop enactment of show betwixt your iPhone and the satellite. The work doesn't enactment indoors, and gangly buildings, mountains, dense foliage and different objects tin artifact outer connectivity. The Emergency SOS interface guides you to assistance you find and link to a satellite.

How overmuch does Emergency SOS via Satellite cost?

The work is escaped for 2 years. Beyond that, Apple hasn't shared however overmuch it volition outgo oregon if determination volition really ever beryllium a complaint to entree the feature.

Does the iPhone 14 person outer connectivity?

Yes. All iPhone 14 models enactment Emergency SOS via Satellite.

A Globalstar worker works connected a crushed presumption that receives messages from satellites to stock with exigency dispatchers.

Apple

What satellites are utilized for Emergency SOS via Satellite?

Apple worked successful concern with outer telecommunications institution Globalstar, which is headquartered successful Covington, Louisiana, with facilities crossed the US. The diagnostic uses Globalstar's web of low-orbit satellites.

Apple made a $450 cardinal investment to supply captious enhancements to Globalstar's outer web and crushed stations. At Globalstar, much than 300 employees enactment the caller service.

Can an iPhone beryllium utilized arsenic a outer phone?

Yes and no. The iPhone 14 bid tin link to satellites to nonstop a substance connection to exigency services erstwhile a telephone can't beryllium placed. You tin besides stock your determination via outer successful the Find My app. However, you can't usage immoderate iPhone to marque calls similar a dedicated outer phone.

Can the iPhone 13 beryllium utilized arsenic a outer phone?

No, lone the iPhone 14 bid supports outer connectivity for emergencies.

Which iPhone is simply a outer phone?

None are technically outer phones, but the iPhone 14 bid does enactment contacting exigency services via satellites done substance messages arsenic a past resort.

For more, here's your complete usher to the iPhone 14 and everything to cognize astir iOS 16.