This is how you use the emergency satellite service of the iPhone 14

With the iPhone 14 you can call for help during an emergency via the emergency satellite service. Read here how to activate this function.

Emergency satellite service of the iPhone 14, indispensable in case of emergency

There’s one feature of the iPhone 14 that you’d rather not need, but that you’ll be very happy to use in an emergency. Then we talk about the emergency satellite service (emergency SOS via satellite) of the iPhone 14. Thanks to this service you can alert the emergency services that you are in distress anywhere in the world, wherever you are.

This is essential if you are in a remote area or cannot get yourself to safety for some other reason. Because if you are, say, trekking on the Bolivian altiplano, on the high seas or in the endless forests of Dalarna in Sweden, miles from civilization or a cell tower, a 112 number is of little use to you. Then this service can save your life. Immediately after you have activated your iPhone 14, you can use the emergency satellite service for free for two years.

Step by step manual emergency SOS via satellite

Go through the following steps.

1. Enter your health insurance number now. If there is a medical emergency, your phone can forward it to the emergency services. You can also set up contacts in the event of an emergency in the Apple health app.
2. Apple has installed a demo app of the “emergency SOS via satellite” on the iPhone 14. It’s a wise idea to use it a few times until you know exactly how to do it. You can also test whether the satellite connection works. Are you on your way? Then it is certainly wise to do this every day. During an emergency you are very stressed. That is why it is wise to rehearse now how exactly it goes, so that if the need arises it is a piece of cake.
3. Try calling the regular emergency number first. In the European Union it is 112
4. Don’t have coverage? Then you get the option to connect to the emergency SOS via satellite.
5. You now get a few options menus. In the first drop-down menu, confirm that there is an emergency.
6. In the second drop-down menu, indicate the type of emergency: car breakdown, illness or injury, victim of a crime, lost, or a fire.
7. In the last selection menu you indicate whether someone is injured.
8. If possible, make sure there are no obstacles between you and the satellites. So stand in the open air, in an open place. Your iPhone will now give instructions on how to reach the nearest satellite, for example by holding your phone in the correct position.
9. Then send a message to the satellite provider in which you briefly explain your situation in a few words. The emergency service can determine where you are and can also follow you.
10. Please note that satellite connections are intermittent and may take up to a minute to send messages.
11. Don’t let your phone run out of power. That is why it is wise to always have a power bank with you when you travel.

The satellite service is free for the first two years. At the moment, this service is only available in the United States and Canada, but it is expected to be rolled out all over the world.

You can find a more extensive version of this guide on Apple Support. If you prefer to watch in video form, there is a YouTube video below.