Apple Adds Satellite Location Sharing to iPhone for Off-Grid Use
Apple is expanding its emergency features, now allowing users to share their precise location via satellite when no cellular service is available. The feature highlights a broader industry trend toward privacy-centric, user-controlled location sharing for safety and utility.
Apple's satellite location sharing builds on the Emergency SOS via satellite feature first introduced with the iPhone 14 lineup in 2022. This initial service was made possible through a partnership with satellite company Globalstar, allowing users to contact emergency services in areas without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. The location sharing function utilizes this same satellite infrastructure through the Find My app. To power these features, Apple has made a substantial financial commitment, initially investing $450 million into Globalstar's infrastructure. More recently, Apple announced an additional investment of up to $1.5 billion in Globalstar, which includes a $1.1 billion cash infusion and a 20% equity stake in the company. This funding is designated for the development and launch of a new, more advanced satellite constellation to support Apple's services. The user experience of sharing a location via satellite requires a direct line of sight to the sky. It can take anywhere from 30 seconds to over a minute to establish a connection and send a location ping, depending on factors like tree coverage. Once sent, the recipient sees the location within the Find My app, identified with a satellite icon. This satellite capability has already been credited with aiding in numerous rescues. In one instance, six avalanche survivors near Lake Tahoe were able to communicate with rescue teams despite the lack of cellular service. Another rescue involved a family who became lost in the snow-covered Mt. Hood National Forest and activated the Emergency SOS via satellite feature on their iPhone to alert authorities. Looking ahead, the partnership between Apple and Globalstar is set to deepen with the production of a second-generation satellite constellation scheduled to begin in 2026. This new constellation, financed by Apple, is expected to enhance the capacity and performance of Apple's satellite-enabled features. The broader consumer tech industry is also moving towards direct-to-device satellite communication. Google has introduced satellite connectivity support in Android 15, with carriers like T-Mobile partnering with SpaceX's Starlink to bring similar services to Android phones. Samsung has also begun to support satellite communication on select Galaxy models in the U.S. through partnerships with T-Mobile and Verizon.
