Apple on Wednesday said it would provide existing iPhone 14 users with another year of free access to its Emergency SOS via satellite service. If you have an iPhone 14 activated before November 15 in a country that supports the service, you’re eligible for the extended free trial.
When the safety feature launched a year ago, Apple gave iPhone 14 users a two-year free trial.
“[W]e continue to hear stories of our customers being able to connect with emergency responders when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to,” Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, said in a statement. “We are so happy iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users can take advantage of this groundbreaking service for two more years for free.”
Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite service allows you to text with emergency services while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Because satellites move rapidly, have low bandwidth, and are located hundreds of miles away from Earth, it’s easier and faster for messages to send, according to Apple. It was one of the marquee features during the iPhone 14 launch, and has driven other handset makers to start incorporating similar safety measures.
In an emergency, an interface will let you know that no connection is available, but they can try Emergency Text via Satellite. From there, the service will generate a short list of questions about your location, iPhone battery level, and medical ID if applicable.
“Emergency SOS via satellite will not only be useful for those who live in rural areas without cellular coverage, but also for those who find themselves in the path of a natural disaster that takes down mobile networks,” Laurene Anderson, NENA: The 9-1-1 Association’s president, said last year.
In addition, users who are off the grid can share their location with friends and family via satellite through the Find My app.
Image credit: Apple