Apple and Google now both have a satellite SOS feature that lets you get help in an emergency when you’re out of cell service range. But how do they compare? Hi, I’m Lexi. Welcome to your weekly dose of all things mobile. You might already know that apple has had a bit of a head start on emergency SOS via satellite, introduced in 2022 on the iPhone fourteen. Google, though, has unveiled its own satellite SOS feature on the Pixel 9 series of phones two years later. Now both of them let you text with emergency services via satellite when you have no Wi Fi or cell signal when you’re outside in clear view of the sky. Compatible iPhones and Pixel phones can tap into communication satellites. Google partners with Skylo, while apple partners with Globalstar. Those satellites then send the message to a ground station here on earth, which then relays it to emergency services. But you don’t really need to know how any of this works. If you need help, you just dial the emergency number on your phone. So in the US that’s 9 1 1. If the call doesn’t go through because you have no signal, then you’ll see an emergency text option on the iPhone or Satellite SOS icon on the Pixel. And it doesn’t matter what carrier you have, this feature should work regardless. Now a really, really important note on emergency SOS via satellite, you should not use this unless it’s a real Emergency. Which is why I’m not calling 9 1 1 in this video. I hope that’s obvious, but I do wanna say it out loud instead. There’s a demo mode on both the Pixel and the iPhone that we can run through to show you how each would work in a real emergency setting. On the iPhone 14 and later, that’s in settings, emergency SOS and scroll down to find the demo under Emergency SOS via satellite. This will turn off cellular on your phone temporarily and prompt you to move around to get a clear view of the sky. Now you might need to keep moving the phone around to keep you pointed at the satellites. On the Pixel 9 series you can go to settings, safety and emergency and then find Satellite SOS and try a demo. You’ll need to move your phone around to get that satellite icon to centre in the shape on the screen. And I found on the Pixel it usually asked me to hold the phone fairly flat when it does establish the connection. Now these demos don’t show it, but in a real emergency you’d actually be given a list of questions to answer about the emergency that’s happening to help expedite the response. Now one important thing to note if you’re using a Pixel, that Google Messages will need to be your default messaging app. Also need to keep your grip on the bottom half of the phone with the top Edges exposed to get the best signal. When it comes to availability, there are some big differences in where you can get access to emergency SOS features. For now, Google Satellite SOS is only available in the US and not in Alaska or Hawaii. Thanks to the two year head start that Apple’s got, emergency SOS by satellite is available in 17 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the UK, and the US. Google has said that it will be free for the first two years on Pixel devices, while apple also has a two year free period. But the company recently said that it would extend free access for the iPhone 14 until November 2025, so both the iPhone 14 and 15 series will have it for free until then. Hopefully you’ll never need to use either emergency SOS by satellite or satellite SOS, but just in case, you should set up your emergency contacts ahead of time. I know, I know I sound like your mum, but this is really important so if you do need help, your emergency contacts can get notified if you request help through the satellite feature. On the iPhone, go to the health app and then summary. Tap your profile picture, then Medical ID, then edit and here you can edit your contact. You might also want to fill out your medical ID info as well if you haven’t already. On the Pixel, go to the Personal Safety app, then your info and emergency Contacts, yes. Apple has had satellite features for longer than Google’s phones, and as you’d expect, there are more things that you can do on the iPhone. No. 1 you can contact roadside assistance by a satellite if you have a flat tire or mechanical issue and you don’t have a signal. Go to the messages app and then start typing roadside into the recipient bar and it should pop up with roadside assistance via satellite. This only works in the US so far. No. 2 you can also share your location off the grid without messaging anybody. Go to the find my app and tap the me tab, then my location via satellite. This should be available in the same list of countries that Emergency SOS is available in. And in iOS 18 you’ll also be able to send messages via satellite to friends and family, not just during emergencies. When you’re connected, the dynamic island will expand to keep you pointed in the right direction of the satellite, and you can text people as normal. Emojis and tap backs should also work. This is available in the US at first when iOS 18 launches in the fall, with other countries rolling out later. I’m expecting Google to roll out some more features over time, just like apple has in the meantime. Verizon in the US has confirmed that it will bring satellite texting to the Pixel 9 series in the fall and then the upcoming Galaxy S25 series Also partnering with Skylo. You might be wondering how the satellite messaging features we’ve just talked about different from something like T Mobile’s partnership with Starlink or AT T and Verizon’s AST Space Mobile deal. Well, those satellite services use wireless airwaves that are already found in existing devices, while Skylo and Global stars connections use a different part of the spectrum called L and S bands. That’s why you need a compatible phone. With the right hardware. I truly hope you’ll never need to use the emergency part of those satellite features, but hopefully now you have a bit more of an idea about how they work. Thanks so much for watching, and I’ll catch you next time. See ya.