iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via satellite coming to these new countries this month

(Image credit: Apple)

Emergency SOS and Find My via satellite are rolling out to more iPhone 14 owners later this month.

In a press release for the new yellow iPhone 14, Apple revealed that the satellite features on its best iPhones will expand to Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal later this month.

Emergency SOS and Find My via satellite allows iPhone 14 owners to reassure loved ones and reach out to emergency services when their device has no signal off-grid. The feature is currently available in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the U.K.

“If you call or text emergency services and can't connect because you're outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, your iPhone tries to connect you via satellite to the help that you need.”

Emergency SOS in more countries

Expanding satellite features to iPhone 14 users in more countries allows more people than ever to use the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro to their full capabilities. Apple went hard with its marketing for satellite features, showcasing the promise of an Apple Watch Ultra and iPhone 14 when adventuring outside of your usual walk around the park.

The Emergency SOS with satellite service kicks in when you attempt to contact emergency services without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. In this scenario, an interface appears on your iPhone that includes a short questionnaire you can answer with just a few simple taps. This information is sent to dispatchers via satellite, who use it to understand your situation and location. The Emergency SOS interface also helps point you in the direction to get the best satellite signal possible.

Whilst most of us will never have to use these features, having satellite capabilities in more countries means that adventurers out there can explore far and wide with more safety and better connectivity to the outer world should they need it.

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.