Apple Launches Emergency SOS Satellite Alert Service on iPhone

Apple has launched emergency SOS via satellite service, allowing users to send emergency signals when they’re off the grid.

The service has become available for iPhone 14 customers and is free for the first two years. Apple's Users should point their phone to the sky and connect to one of 24 Globalstar satellites in low Earth orbit.

Apple announced plans to introduce the emergency feature in September, when it debuted the iPhone 14 lineup. To enable the service, Apple said last week it would spend $450 million with U.S. companies, with the majority of the money going to Globalstar, a Louisiana-based satellite operator.

In ideal conditions with a direct view of the sky and the horizon, a message might take 15 seconds to send, and over a minute to send under trees with light or medium foliage. If you're under heavy foliage or surrounded by other obstructions, you might not be able to connect to a satellite,

Apple says in the press-release.

The company doesn’t want users testing the service out for non-emergences, so it offers users a demo option. Users should tap "Try Demo" in the Emergency SOS section in the Settings.