Apple’s Emergency SOS Feature Arrives for the UK and European Regions

The launch of Apple’s iPhone 14 series and iOS 16 a while back brought along some new nifty new tricks from the Cupertino-based tech giant, and one useful feature in particular has finally made its way to the hands of iPhone users in Europe and the UK.

More specifically, Apple’s “Emergency SOS via Satellite” feature is now available for iPhone 14 users in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ireland. As per Apple’s official statement:

“Apple’s groundbreaking safety service Emergency SOS via satellite is available starting today for customers in France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK. Available on all iPhone 14 models, the innovative technology enables users to message with emergency services while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Additionally, if users want to reassure friends and family of their whereabouts while traveling in an area with no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, they can now open the Find My app and share their location via satellite.”

With this feature, users will be able to reach emergency services even without Wi-Fi or cellular services through a quick interface on their device, which will then transmit immediate information such as a user’s current location and situation. Additionally, a user’s iPhone will then send an initial message which includes other information such as altitude, iPhone battery level, and Medical ID, to name a few.

Apple says that it designed and engineered the iPhone 14 to connect to a satellite’s unique frequencies without the need for an external antenna. The feature also uses a text compression algorithm in order to reduce the average size of messages, allowing users to send and receive messages in as little as 15 seconds in clear conditions.

With that said, the feature is currently available for iPhone 14 series devices, although there’s no word if it will eventually make its way to older models. Users will also need to be on iOS version 16.1.1 (or later) to be able to use the service.