Here’s Where Apple’s Satellite Communications Features Are Available
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With the release of iOS 18 next week, Apple will add a third pillar to its iPhone satellite communications services: the ability to send text messages via satellite. This will join Emergency SOS via satellite and Roadside Assistance via satellite to provide an even more practical way for folks to stay in touch when they’re far from civilization.
Emergency SOS via satellite was introduced with the iPhone 14 lineup two years ago as a way to call for emergency assistance when no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity is available. It first launched in the US and Canada on November 15, 2022, and has since expanded to 17 countries globally.
The following year, Apple added Roadside Assistance via satellite, and while that was announced alongside the iPhone 15 lineup, it came to all satellite-capable iPhone models. However, it was a US-only affair since it relied on AAA to deliver the roadside assistance. Apple merely provided a way to get in contact with them. Even when using a satellite connection, AAA members receive the standard roadside assistance included in their membership plan, while non-members can access it on a pay-per-incident basis.
Emergency SOS via satellite was accompanied by the ability to report your location in the Find My app via satellite so friends and family members would at least know where you are. That’s also available in the same 17 countries today, but until now, there’s been no way to keep in touch with them other than putting your mark on a map.
That changes this year with iOS 18 and Messages via satellite. Now, you’ll be able to send SMS messages even when you otherwise have no service, using the same technique as the Emergency SOS feature. While Emergency SOS and Roadside Assistance are both valuable to have in a crisis, we hope that most people have never needed to use either. On the other hand, Messages via satellite can be used for everyday communications, not just emergencies, making it a much more handy feature for every iPhone user who enjoys spending time off the grid.
Messages via satellite will support texts, emojis, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS, although SMS availability will depend on your carrier. There’s no word on RCS support. The limited bandwidth of a satellite connection or the gateways that messages pass through may rule out RCS, but it definitely excludes sending photos and videos over a satellite link.
Although Apple announced Messages via satellite during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) presentation, it didn’t say where the service would be available. However, it clarified during yesterday’s Glowtime event that it’s coming to the US and Canada at launch while announcing that Roadside Assistance via satellite will expand to the United Kingdom.
Here’s the rundown on where Apple’s satellite communications services are now available as of this writing:
- Emergency SOS via Satellite and Find My location reporting: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S.
- Roadside Assistance via Satellite: Provided by AAA and Verizon Roadside Assistance in the US and Green Flag in the UK.
- Messages via satellite: Canada and the United States.
Note that Messages via satellite requires iOS 18.0 or later. Emergency SOS via satellite requires at least iOS 16.1 in the US or Canada and later iOS 16 point releases in other countries or iOS 17.6 in Japan. More information on the requirements can be found in Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite support article.
Apple was much quieter yesterday on how much these services will ultimately cost. Putting satellites in orbit isn’t cheap, nor is maintaining the ground stations necessary to communicate with them. However, it appears Apple is still offering two years of free service with the activation of a new iPhone, whether an iPhone 14 or one of the latest iPhone 16 models. Last year, Apple extended its free satellite services offer until at least November 2025, giving iPhone 14 owners up to three years of free availability, depending on when they purchased their iPhone.
While Apple is still leaving the door open to charging for its satellite communications features eventually, we don’t have any details on what those charges will be since no iPhone owner will reach the end of their free service until late next year, and anyone purchasing an iPhone 16 next week will be covered until late 2026.
