Apple to launch its Emergency SOS services in more countries by Next-Year

Apple said this week that the iPhone 14’s life-saving Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will be available in more countries next year in a press statement. Apple did not, however, disclose a list of nations where the feature will be expanded next.

Emergency SOS by Satellite was first available in the United States and Canada in November and requires an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 16.1 or later. The service became accessible earlier this week in France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, with iOS 16.2 necessary for some local emergency service lines.

In the U.S. and Canada, call or text 911. In France, call or text 112, 15, 17, 18, 114, 119, 191, and 196. In Germany, texts 112 and 110. In Ireland and the U.K., call or text 999 or 112. You need iOS 16.2 to connect to emergency services via satellite when you call or text 15, 17, 18, 114, 119, 191, and 196 in France, 110 in Germany, and 999 in Ireland. The availability of these additional emergency numbers might also depend on your cellular carrier.

The feature connects Apple iPhone 14 models to a Globalstar satellite, allowing users to send text messages to emergency services when they are beyond of range of cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity.

A text message may take 15 seconds to send via satellite in “perfect conditions with a direct view of the sky and the horizon,” according to Apple, but foliage or other obstructions can cause messages to take longer or fail to send. According to Apple, satellite communication may also be unavailable in areas over 62° latitude, such as northern Alaska and Canada.

There have already been tales of Emergency SOS through Satellite assisting first responders in rescuing people in Alaska and California. For critical information regarding the feature, iPhone users should check Apple’s support document.

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