Oliver Haslam on November 15, 2023, 6:59 pm

Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite Feature Is Free For Another Year

Apple has announced that it is expanding the year-long free trial for iPhone 14 buyers for another year, meaning that anyone who bought an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro family of devices before 12 a.m. Pacific Time on November 15, 2023 will be able to use the feature until November 2025.

The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature was launched alongside the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro and was free for two years, meaning that it would have become a paid-for service in November 2024.

However, the extension means that an extra year has now been added to that. Apple took the opportunity to note that the feature has already saved lives.

“Emergency SOS via satellite has helped save lives around the world. From a man who was rescued after his car plummeted over a 400-foot cliff in Los Angeles, to lost hikers found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy, we continue to hear stories of our customers being able to connect with emergency responders when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. “We are so happy iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users can take advantage of this groundbreaking service for two more years for free.”

Emergency SOS via Satellite allows users to call for assistance even when there is no cell service thanks to low-orbit satellite communications.

The short text messages sent to emergency responders include medical information as well as where the person is alongside answers to some questions so as to aid emergency responders.