Emergency SOS Via Satellite
Apple and a whole host of Android phones have under-the-radar safety features that can help save lives in the event of an emergency. One of them is Emergency SOS via satellite.
You can activate this feature on iPhone 8 and newer by pressing the side button and one of the volume buttons simultaneously. It allows you to drag a slider screen to call emergency services and share your location with emergency contacts1.
Location
The iPhone’s standard Emergency SOS feature calls local emergency services via cellular or Wi-Fi, and alerts your emergency contacts. It’s available on all iPhone models running iOS 16 or later, as well as many Android devices. But on Tuesday, Apple launched a new Emergency SOS via Satellite feature for the iPhone 14, which lets you contact dedicated dispatchers via satellites in case a cellular network is unavailable.
To use this feature, your iPhone needs to have a clear view of the sky, so you’ll need to be in an outdoor area away from tall buildings and tree foliage, according to Apple. It also works only in English, French, and Spanish for now; dispatchers have professional interpretation services available for many other languages.
Once you tap the SOS button, your location is sent to your emergency contacts (or Circle members if you’re using Life360), and a call or text with your location is placed automatically to the local emergency service, depending on the country and region you’re in. You can also add additional emergency contacts through the Health app by tapping your profile picture in the top-right corner, selecting Medical ID, and then editing the details of your preferred emergency contact.
Your iPhone will also share your location — in end-to-end encrypted form that only emergency responders can access — for a period of time after you enter SOS mode, and updates will be received if you’re moving. This feature is a powerful tool for lone workers, whose smartphones can provide a lifeline to family and colleagues back home.
Calls
Whether you’re hiking in the backcountry and have an accident, or you’re stuck at home and don’t feel safe, knowing how to use emergency SOS features on iPhone and Apple Watch can help ensure that you can get the assistance you need quickly.
When you enable Emergency SOS in settings, a slider appears on the screen that you can drag or tap to activate a call to local emergency services. Depending on your device, the feature can also activate video recording or activate Siri to speak for you. There’s a brief countdown after the feature is activated, so you have time to cancel if you accidentally press it.
If you’re using a phone with iOS 12 or later, your Emergency SOS settings include an auto-call mode. With this enabled, five consecutive taps of the power button or pressing the digital crown will start a call to emergency services (depending on your model, it may also activate video recording).
When you’re connected to satellite via Emergency SOS, your location is shared with emergency service dispatchers and with a third party that offers rescue services. The same location information is also shared with your emergency contacts, if they’re included in your Medical ID list. This information is sent in an encrypted form and can’t be accessed by Apple. It’s retained by the emergency service organizations and relay provider for their own records and in accordance with applicable laws.
Notifications
While it may seem scary to share your location in an emergency, you should know that this feature only sends out notifications to trusted contacts. lone worker device They receive a live transcript of your conversation with emergency services, and can see your location on a map.
On iPhone 7 and later, there’s also a way to call emergency services without activating Emergency sos. It’s similar to how you activate Siri. To trigger it, quickly press the power button five times and your phone will ring for a few seconds to let you know that it’s called emergency services. If you want to use this instead, toggle it on in the Emergency sos section.
iPhones that are capable of connecting to a satellite can also activate Emergency sos via satellite. This is only available in certain locations and charges will apply. If you’re interested in using this, toggle it on and then select a satellite provider.
While this feature has been available on Pixel phones for two years, it’s now rolled out to most other Android phones. You can check to see if it’s enabled on your device by going to Settings > Safety & emergency and tapping Emergency sos. You can also add emergency contacts here and manage the information they’ll be sent when you use Emergency sos. On some phones, there are additional options like a video recording and the ability to set a countdown for how long you can trigger the feature before it calls emergency services.
Sharing
If you don’t have access to the phone in an emergency, you can share your location using Emergency Sharing. It’s enabled by default, but you can disable it from Settings > Safety and emergency if you want.
When enabled, this feature allows anyone to see your current location without having to unlock the phone. You can also select contacts whose location you want to be updated in real time. It’s important to note that Emergency sharing uses GPS and your battery may drain faster if it stays on.
This is a new option that Apple added to iOS 11 with the release of the iPhone 14. It lets users connect to emergency services via satellite when cellular or Wi-Fi coverage isn’t available. When activated, the SOS feature calls 911 or other local emergency services in your country and shares a location text message with a designated contact. It uses a partner company, Globalstar, which has an existing network of satellites and ground stations throughout North America.
In addition, the SOS feature can trigger a loud siren and flashes your screen to alert nearby people to your situation. It’s important to understand that the feature is meant only for emergencies, not prank calls. In fact, if you use it to prank 911 callers, you could be charged with a felony.
