Just like Hurricane Milton is about to hit, connectivity will be essential in the event that internet and cellular networks shut down. If you own an iPhone 14 or later, there is an excellent life-saving feature ready for you: Emergency SOS via Satellite. Read on below for step-by-step instructions on how you could connect with a satellite when you need it the most and at what points this capability might come in the most handy.
Why Emergency SOS via Satellite Matters
It is hard to connect to emergency services during hurricanes like Milton, and with power outages, internet service interruptions, and cell tower damage, **Emergency SOS via Satellite** becomes very crucial, because it enables sending emergency texts even in cases when cellular or Wi-Fi service is unavailable. It’s something of a safety net, to be sure-ensuring you’re not even wholly cut off from the outside world during critical moments.
Not all carriers also enable you to use satellite-based text services. It is available on your iPhone only if your iOS version supports it as well as your carrier. This feature will need your iPhone to be set with **iOS 16.1 or later**.
Emergency SOS over Satellite Setup on iPhone
From Control Center:
To access this feature from Control Center;
You must open Control Center on your iPhone screen starting from the top and swiping down the right-hand side of the screen.
Tap the cellular icon at the right-hand side control panel
Select “Satellite” from the menu list.
Select a satellite function that you would like to utilize such as sending \
emergency messages or accessing some other service available via the satellites.
Using the Settings App:
In this tab, you will find the Settings icon. Locate and press your iPhone’s settings app;
Scroll down and select “Satellite” under the connectivity options.
Choose a satellite feature you want to activate in the list, for instance, SOS
text messaging or other emergency call services.
After having done the above procedures, you can access your satellite connection quickly when you need it most – that is in emergency.
Where Can You Use Satellite Connectivity?
To activate **Emergency SOS via Satellite**, you will have to be **outdoors with an unobstructed view of the sky.** Roofs of buildings, dense collections of trees, or even cloudy skies may interfere with the signal, so that makes it best used in relatively open areas. You do not need to hold your phone higher than you normally would, but you should not store it in a bag or pocket during the connection process either.
Your iPhone screen will guide you in what to do if the signal is blocked, or if you need to readjust your position to get a better connection:
Whom Can You Call?
The primary purpose of a satellite SOS is to **reach emergency services**, although how it functions is slightly different from a regular cellular call. Here’s how:
1. Initiates sending emergency messages: As soon as your iPhone is in communication with a satellite, it begins to engage in an SMS exchange with emergency responders. The system automatically sends all the critical information:
Medical ID setup (if you’ve enabled it in Health app)
Emergency contacts (if available)
Your GPS location
Your phone’s remaining battery life.
Notify emergency contacts: You can also alert your emergency contacts in Health as you interact with emergency services. You can thus support or track your family depending on the situation
Emergency Contacts
If you are not sure how to add your emergency contacts using Medical ID in your device, Apple has a whole guide you can find here or directly from the Health app on your iPhone.
How to Send Satellite Messages
If you want to send a message when cellular services are spottily followed are as follows:
Go outside: Move to an open area where you can view the sky. Avoid buildings and large trees, as they can block the sky.
Press the Emergency SOS either by:
Pressing the side button and one of the volume buttons until you see the **Emergency SOS slider**
Or in the Control Center or Settings as above.
Acquisition phase Your iPhone is now looking for a satellite. This would take hardly above about a minute or two according to the strength of signal and prevailing weather conditions.
Onscreen instructions: Now your iPhone will then guide you on how you are required to hold the device at a certain angle so that you will not lose a contact with a satellite. You will be able to keep your iPhone steady while it guides you through this process.
Draft your message: Now that you’ve obtained a successful connection, it’s time to write your emergency message. Although satellite-based messaging tends to be much slower than cellular messaging, pithy messages will go through better.
Send your message: Once your message has gone out, then it’s possible you have to stay put until help arrives.
Your phone will also update you on the status of the satellite connection. Sometimes, it will even remind you to change locations should the signal be weak.
Satellite SOS Additions
Battery Management: Satellite connectivity draws very heavily on your iPhone’s battery. Above, your iPhone shares the remaining battery time with the emergency services so that the latter knows how long they have to communicate with you before your iPhone dies off. Such information can prove handy to the emergency services so as to apportion urgency for their response.
Emergency Location Sharing: If emergency services can’t communicate via text, your iPhone will periodically continue sending its GPS location so responders can track your location even if the conversation is interrupted
FAQs and Troubleshooting
Will All Models of iPhone Support Emergency SOS using Satellite?
No. Satellite SOS is only available on **iPhone 14** models and later. This is a feature exclusive to newer hardware; older models do not have satellite connectivity.
What if I Am Unable to Connect to a Satellite?
If you’re unable to connect to a satellite due to interference or bad weather, try moving to a location where the line of sight to the sky is unobstructed. Your iPhone may even prompt you to do so. Last resort: if you cannot connect use more ancient means of transmitting your message such as a visual signal or movement to another location until services return to normal.
Can I Use This Feature for Sending Non-Emergency Messages?
No, **Emergency SOS via Satellite** may be used only to communicate with emergency services in an emergency. In any case, it is intended as a means of life-saving assistance when you cannot communicate with emergency services in some other manner; it is not for such things as sending memes or making casual texts with someone.
How Emergency SOS Fits into Overall Emergency Preparedness
While Emergency SOS via Satellite
The feature would be very useful in keeping touch with Hurricane Milton, but it certainly wouldn’t be used in isolation as a sole source of emergency. Consider these added steps:
Charge your devices:
Charge all your electronics, especially your iPhone, before the storm to fully charge them up. You may also want to get some portable chargers or power banks.
An extended outage might call for alternative power, such as a generator or solar charger, to be life-sustaining.
1. Prepare your communication:
Establish plans with your loved ones for how to stay in contact in case of an extended outage. Make sure everyone knows how to use features such as Emergency SOS and has the latest Medical ID information updated on their iOS device.
Stock up on supplies of basic needs such as water and food and first aid kits, as well as any medicines you might require, and ensure that they are readily accessible and portable in case you need to evacuate.
Then, the traditional forms of Hurricane Milton pose a risk. However, this time, there is a powerful alternative safety net of Emergency SOS via Satellite for iPhone that promises readiness. This option is on an iPhone 14 and later models and requires iOS version 16.1 or later. The full functionality of the feature requires an iPhone properly set up with enough charge in it, which should be placed in open areas at the time of connection to the satellite.
Make use of these features and prepare-thus you will never be completely disconnected in the worst case scenario. Stay safe, stay connected, and ensure loved ones know how to use these life-saving features**.
To learn how to use Emergency SOS via Satellite on a Google Pixel or any other non-Apple device, click here for a step-by-step guide for Android users