Apple today announced that its Satellite Emergency SOS feature has been expanded to six European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal. The service requires users to update to the latest iOS 16.4 system in order to use it in these countries.
Satellite Emergency SOS allows iPhone 14 Series phones to send text messages to emergency centers for assistance via Globalstar satellite when cellular and Wi-Fi signals are not available. The service is free for two years after activating iPhone 14 and will begin today for customers in newly supported countries.
Apple said that in the newly supported countries, if a user calls the local emergency services phone number and cannot be reached due to lack of network connectivity, the system will automatically transfer to 112, the European unified emergency number.
Apple also reminds users that sending text messages may take longer or fail because satellite signals may be affected by foliage or other obstructions, and that satellite connections may not be available in areas above 62 degrees north latitude, such as parts of Canada and Alaska.
The satellite emergency distress feature was first introduced in the U.S. and Canada in November and is currently only available on four models – iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max – with the service expanding to France, Germany, Ireland and the U.K. in December.
