Apple Expands Emergency SOS via Satellite to UK, France, Germany, and Ireland

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced the expansion of Emergency SOS via Satellite and Find My via satellite functionality to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ireland.

iPhone 14 users can now connect with emergency services when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage are not available, and calls from the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will be routed to local emergency services facilities.

Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature is available to all iPhone 14 users running iOS 16.1 in supported countries and it is free to use for two years. It is designed to allow iPhone users to make emergency calls using satellite connectivity outdoors when no cellular or WiFi connection is available.

Apple says that with the release of iOS 16.2, expected later today, users who dial a local emergency service number will automatically be routed to 112, the European emergency phone number, if the call does not go through due to a cellular or Wi-Fi connection not being available, enabling them to utilize Emergency SOS via satellite even if they don't dial 112.

"Emergency SOS via satellite makes emergency communications over satellite more accessible, which is very exciting,” said Gary Machado, the European Emergency Number Association's CEO. "In practice, it means that many more people will be able to contact 112 when they have no mobile coverage and need urgent assistance. We are confident that this will save many lives and offer significant help to emergency services dealing with these often very complicated rescues."

"Being able to use a satellite connection to contact 999 or 112 if there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is a breakthrough that Apple has brought to the general public with iPhone 14," said John Anthony, the British Association of Public Safety Communications Officials' president. "The feature will mean that emergency services can be alerted when it was not previously possible and are then able to do their jobs to better effect, in part because of the initial information that can be shared with dispatchers, such as location and essential details about the emergency. Ultimately, this will help save lives."

Emergency SOS via Satellite launched in the United States and Canada last month, and at the time, Apple said that it would expand to France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. Support for more countries will follow next year, according to Apple.

• How to Share Your Location via Satellite With Find My
• How to Demo the Emergency SOS via Satellite Service on iPhone 14

Satellite connectivity can also be used to update a ‌Find My‌ location without WiFi or cellular connectivity through the ‌Find My‌ app.

Article Link: Apple Expands Emergency SOS via Satellite to UK, France, Germany, and Ireland

 

[vtuberalpha]

Massive kudos to Apple for bringing this to Germany. Maybe they actually give a crap about the world beyond the US.

 

[Realityck]

Apple today announced the expansion of Emergency SOS via Satellite and Find My via satellite functionality to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ireland.

Very good news, how to demo it:

How to test and use iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite​

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone 14
2. Swipe down and choose Emergency SOS
   • Available in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and France as of 12/13/22
3. Swipe to the bottom, under Emergency SOS via Satellite, tap Try Demo
4. Follow the prompts

 

[Will Co]

Great news. Not yet seeing the facility to demo it in the UK, though.

 

[deadlock]

Great news but not sure they've thrown the switch just yet... The Apple article states that it requites 16.1, and that 16.2 will use 112 for Emergency Calls, but my 14 Pro isn't seeing it, even after a restart.

 

[testcard]

Great news. Not yet seeing the facility to demo it in the UK, though.

I'm not seeing the demo option either in the UK.

 

[jambon]

Great news but not sure they've thrown the switch just yet... The Apple article states that it requites 16.1, and that 16.2 will use 112 for Emergency Calls, but my 14 Pro isn't seeing it, even after a restart.

Same. I wonder if it will go live once 16.2 is released (if I'm right to presume that will be later today).

 

[Realityck]

Same. I wonder if it will go live once 16.2 is released (if I'm right to presume that will be later today).

We are hoping its goes live Tuesday about 1000 PST, your time 1800 GMT.

 

[deadlock]

Same. I wonder if it will go live once 16.2 is released (if I'm right to presume that will be later today).

I did wonder that, but the timing is a bit off.

If 16.2 goes live today (as I also expect) I don't expect it to land until 5/6PM so surely the Press Release would have been slated for tomorrow?

As this doesn't need 16.2 I think they want it to stand on its own and not get lost in the 16.2 news cycle tomorrow/tonight.

 

[iphonehype]

How do you force no service, so I can see the Ui?

 

[simps100]

In the U.K. - just got a notification in settings to setup emergency SOS and now have the satellite demo available too !

 

[SoldOnApple]

Hopefully Australia is soon, Australia is a massive landmass with lots of opportunity to get stranded between cities.

 

[deadlock]

No alert, but just checked and the Demo option is there. Need to step outside later to give it a proper test as the Satellite is the other side of the house.

 

[iphonehype]

In the U.K. - just got a notification in settings to setup emergency SOS and now have the satellite demo available too !

View attachment 2127631View attachment 2127630

Did it pop up or did you have to do something?

 

[Treble]

Just got the update now uk

 

[testcard]

Mine's gone live too. Didn't have to do anything other than open Emergency SOS and scroll to the bottom.

 

[MaxSto]

Live here in Germany, too.

 

[testcard]

Standing outside in -5C and pointing my 14 Pro at the sky isn't a great look (said my neighbour), but the demo certainly works.

 

[Skyscraperfan]

Not sure where here in Germany we do not have any mobile network. I just checked: Even Bielefeld has 100% coverage, although it does not even exist.

https://www.breitband-monitor.de/mobilfunkmonitoring/karte

So this feature is only interesting for Germans who travel abroad. And would they pay a monthly fee once the free trial is over?

 

[pauloregan]

You should be able to order your favorite uberEats with this, thus cutting out the need for broadband, cell phone plan and a kitchen.

 

[MaxSto]

Not sure where here in Germany we do not have any mobile network. I just checked: Even Bielefeld has 100% coverage, although it does not even exist.

https://www.breitband-monitor.de/mobilfunkmonitoring/karte

So this feature is only interesting for Germans who travel abroad. And would they pay a monthly fee once the free trial is over?

Apparently you have never been to the alps, the eifel and other very rural and exposed locations here in germany.
I am very thankful for this feature and hope that it will come to austria, switzerland and italy in the near future, too.

 

[orbital~debris]

Tried the demo a little while ago, it worked wonderfully in East Anglia – very fast to establish connection with the 🛰️ and the Apple instructions were excellent.

Love this feature, hopefully will never need to use it.

 

[George_A]

so what does it mean? All iPhones being present in the UK, or UK iPhones(UK App Store) anywhere in the world? Or UK iPhones in the UK?

 

[cyanite]

Does it support 0118 999 88199 9119 725… 3?

 

[Fat_Guy]

so what does it mean? All iPhones being present in the UK, or UK iPhones(UK App Store) anywhere in the world? Or UK iPhones in the UK?

With the exception of China (maybe a few more) any iPhone 14 model will work anywhere in the world Apple has enabled it. UK phones will work in the USA for example.