Today, Apple started rolling out iOS 16.4 version with several new features to users. The update also adds more regions for the Emergency SOS satellite feature available on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. The countries that are now available are Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal, in addition to the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK.
The feature is one of a kind, helping users to contact emergency services even when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage and share their location through the Find My app via satellite connection.
“SOS satellite emergencies is a great example of technology that could keep our citizens safe,” said Jan van Loosbroek, director of the Organization of the National Control Room of the Netherlands.
Emergency SOS via Satellite works all the way through short messages, but if your local emergency operators do not support messages, Apple has relay centers with operators that relay the information directly to the emergency services.
This new functionality is a lifesaver, especially during ski or snowboard accidents, hiking, getting lost or trapped in the woods, and even car accidents when there is no cellular connection on the highway.
Hope you never ever need to use this feature. Here’s a tutorial on How to use Emergency SOS on iPhone 14.
