In a press release issued earlier this week, Apple said that the satellite emergency help feature in iPhone 14 models will be available to more countries and regions next year. But Apple did not specify in the press release its plans for next year’s expansion.
Satellite Emergency Help went live first in the U.S. and Canada this November and requires iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 16.1 or later.
The service was made available to iPhone 14 owners in France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom earlier this week, with some local emergency service numbers requiring iOS 16.2. The service is free for two years starting when the iPhone 14 model is activated.
Apple’s official support documentation states.
"1. in the United States and Canada, call or text 911. in France, call or text 112, 15, 17, 18, 114, 119, 191, and 196. in Germany, text 112 and 110. in Ireland and the United Kingdom, call or text 999 or 112. 2. 2. When calling or texting 15, 17, 18, 114, 119, 191, and 196 in France, 110 in Germany, and 999 in Ireland, you will need iOS 16.2 to connect to emergency services via satellite. The exact availability of these additional emergency numbers may also depend on your cellular network carrier."
The feature allows iPhone 14 models to connect to Globalstar satellites, enabling users to send text messages to emergency services from outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Apple said it can take up to 15 seconds to send a text message via satellite under “ideal conditions with a direct view of the sky and horizon,” but foliage or other obstructions can cause a text message to take longer or not be sent. Apple said satellite connections may also not work in places above 62° latitude, such as Alaska and northern parts of Canada.
