Apple’s ‘Emergency SOS via Satellite’ is finally available in some European countries. The feature was rolled out in the US and Canada last month.
Apple‘s ‘Emergency SOS via Satellite’ is finally available in some European countries. The announcement comes almost a month after the service was rolled out in the US and Canada, enabling users to get in touch with emergency services with their iPhones in areas with no network. The feature is meant to help people stuck in the wilderness, high up in the mountains, or at sea. It will also be helpful for people in the heart of the city if a natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake disrupts the power grid and brings down communication towers.
iPhones have long offered an Emergency SOS feature that can be accessed by simultaneously pressing the power and volume buttons. Users can then drag the Emergency Call slider to automatically call emergency services and even text emergency contacts. This year, Apple took it a step further and announced the ‘Emergency SOS via satellite’ feature that works in areas with no cellular reception or internet connectivity. Within weeks of its activation in the US, the feature saved a stranded man in Alaska after he activated Emergency SOS via satellite on his iPhone to call for help.
Having rolled it out in the US and Canada last month, Apple on Tuesday expanded the iPhone 14’s ‘Emergency SOS via satellite’ feature to a number of European countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, and Germany. The feature is currently available in all the iPhone 14 series devices, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite Is Now In Europe
The service is automatically activated if the user fails to contact emergency services by calling the designated emergency number for their region, with a long press on the power and volume buttons, or by rapidly pressing the power button five times. In such cases, Emergency SOS via satellite will be accessible from the Phone app in the form of a green SOS button in the bottom-right corner.
Pressing the button will take users to an emergency questionnaire that can be used to explain the nature of the emergency, any injuries and medical requirements, and other information to make it easier for emergency services to find them. The message will also automatically include the location, the iPhone battery level, and the user’s Medical ID if enabled. The only caveat is that users will have to find a relatively open area under the sky so that they are in the line of sight of satellites before sending the message. Once the message is sent, it will reach Apple’s relay centers, which will then get in touch with local authorities.
Source: Apple