Life-saving satellite tech likely in your pocket to use for emergency calling when disaster strikes

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FILE-Marie O'Neil looks at her smartphone in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

In the face of severe weather or a life-threatening emergency, traditional communication networks can fail, leaving individuals isolated and at risk.

However, if you own an iPhone 14 or later, or a Google Pixel 9, you can harness the power of satellite technology to connect with emergency services or reach out to loved ones, even in the most remote and challenging circumstances, by sharing your location, without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, hundreds of residents in North Carolina remained unaccounted for. The storm's destructive force caused widespread damage to infrastructure, leading to communication outages that hampered efforts to locate missing individuals.

Apple introduced Emergency SOS via satellite in 2022 for customers in the U.S. and Canada and subsequently expanded to include users in France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Satellites move rapidly, have limited bandwidth, and are located hundreds of miles away from Earth. This means that sending or receiving a message via satellite is significantly different from using cellular networks.

With the latest version of iOS 18 released, your iPhone must have the compatible software to use Apple's satellite connectivity.

Before a disaster strikes your area, Apple says it's best to try their demonstration in an open area with a clear view of the sky and horizon to learn how to connect to a satellite. If you don't have your location services turned on for satellite connection, you'll be prompted to do so before continuing.

iPhone users: Give the demo a try

Here are the steps provided by Apple for how to access the satellite connection demo.

Open your Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of your iPhone.
Tap the Cellular button on the right of the Control Center.
Tap Satellite, then tap Try Demo:To learn how to connect to a satellite, tap Try Connecting to Satellite.To learn how Emergency SOS via satellite works, tap Try Emergency SOS.You can also tap a satellite feature to learn more about it.
To learn how to connect to a satellite, tap Try Connecting to Satellite.
To learn how Emergency SOS via satellite works, tap Try Emergency SOS.
You can also tap a satellite feature to learn more about it.
Follow the onscreen instructions to practice connecting your iPhone to a satellite.

If you are having issues, you can also open directly to a demo of Emergency SOS via satellite or Messages via satellite by going to the following options in your phone's settings:

Emergency SOS via satellite: Settings app > Emergency SOS
Settings app > Apps > Messages, then scroll down and tap Satellite Connection Demo.

The satellite features are included at no cost for two years when you activate an iPhone 14 or later model, according to Apple.