After the release of iPhone 14 on September 2022, Apple users were met with different new features. One of these functions that come with the new iphone and iOS is the one to use SOS of emergency via satelite.
What is the iPhone SOS for?
Apple commented that SOS is useful only for rare situations where we have no way of contacting emergency services. For example, if we are in a difficult situation or we are lost and we do not have mobile data or Wi-Fi, our iPhone 14 can send an SOS message via satellite requesting help.
Is it really reliable?
Taking into account that the connection is made via satellite, we have to take into account that the connection is limited and slow. So we should only use this connection to send important information like location, condition, and what kind of help we need.
We can use iPhone SOS on iOS, but only on 14 family devices (14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max). At the moment the service works for free for two years, although it is possible that Apple will end up setting a price for its use.
How does it work?
The emergency SOS via satellite is only enabled when we do not have coverage, mobile network or Wi-Fi. We can contact emergency services or one of our contacts in the same way as we would if we had network coverage. The company says you should be in an area with clear skies, as mountains or foliage can block satellite connectivity.
Messages can take up to 15 seconds to be sent. It may not sound like much, but the company went to great lengths to include satellite connectivity in the latest iPhones.
One of the very positive things is that the iPhone SOS function works if the phone is locked. Then it becomes an extremely practical way to get out of complicated situations.
How to use the SOS function?
In case of being in a difficult situation where we have to use the SOS function via satellite, the first thing we will have to do is a little preliminary work. We can open the health application and press summary. Then we press the profile photo and go to Medical ID and then edit.
We will complete our medical data, allergies, medications and all relevant information. It is important to do this as soon as possible because this information can be sent via the emergency SOS when the time comes.
Another thing we can do is designate emergency contacts. These will have priority when the satellite connection is carried out. Something else that we must consider is that we are going to have to share our location with these contacts through the Find my phone app.
Once all of the above is clear. To use the SOS emergency service we will have to make a call to 911. If we do not have a network, we will see an emergency text option screen via satellite.
After pressing this, we will see “report emergency” on the screen. We press this option and we will be asked a series of questions about the current situation, the location and what kind of assistance we need. We can also include other people and if there have been injuries. You can even choose what kind of personal information is sent.
After doing all of this, we’re going to see on-screen instructions on how to get a lock on a passing satellite and how we can maintain the lock. It is even possible to request that the position be changed in case of not achieving it. Once blocked, we may be prompted for additional information via text message and will get answers on our next course of action.
