Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite now available in 6 more countries

Apple announced that its safety service Emergency SOS via satellite is now available to customers in six more countries -- Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal.

Available on all iPhone 14 models, the 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 travelling off the grid, they can now open the Find My app and share their location via satellite, the company said in a statement.

"Emergency SOS via satellite is a great example of technology that could keep our citizens safe. Cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is a key improvement that Apple made available with the iPhone 14," said Jan van Loosbroek, director of the Dutch National Control Room Organisation.

With Emergency SOS via satellite, if a user is not able to reach emergency services because no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is available, an easy-to-use interface appears on iPhone to get the user help utilising a satellite connection.

The service will be included for free for two years starting at the time of activation of a new iPhone 14 model.

Emergency SOS by satellite and Find My by satellite require iOS 16.4 for users in these new six countries. 

With iOS 16.4, a user dialling a local emergency number will automatically be redirected to 112, the European emergency number, if the call fails due to no cellular or Wi-Fi connection, making it possible to use emergency SOS via satellite even without dialling 112.

Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the UK and the US are the countries where the Emergency SOS by satellite service is already available.