The iPhone 14 have a satellite call function to reach the emergency services even outside of any network coverage. After the United States, it has just been activated for metropolitan France and overseas.
Announced at the same time as the new iPhone 14 last September, the Satellite emergency call function, initially deployed in mid-November in North America, is arriving in Europe and in particular in France. Its goal: to help you contact the emergency services even when the connection to the cellular network does not pass, with the famous message “No service” which scrolls at the top of the screen. The iPhone will then attempt to connect to the Globalstar satellite network to locate you, collect and then transmit the information corresponding to your situation in order to alert the emergency services and get you out of this mess. How to turn the iPhone into a satellite phone? Not quite. We explain how this SOS mode works.
The Satellite emergency call function is available on all iPhones in the 14 range running at least iOS 16.1. It is not necessary to subscribe to an option with your telephone operator. Communications do not go through it but directly through the satellite. It is therefore necessary for this to be located preferably in an open area, outside, far from foliage and any obstacle (hills, mountains, etc.). In addition, the connection to the satellite can only be made when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi network.
In France, and in Europe, it is through 112, the universal emergency number (equivalent to the famous American 911) that you can contact the emergency services. To make an emergency call, you must first dial this number. The iPhone then tries by all means to establish communication, even relying on the cellular network of an operator that is not yours if it finds one. If no cellular or Wi-Fi network is available, then iPhone offers to make a satellite emergency call. The call screen is then adorned with an icon of the Messages application flanked by an SOS badge.
Pressing it starts the emergency contact procedure. It is not a question of making a voice call but of transmitting the necessary information by message. You must then press the Report an emergency button at the bottom of the screen and then answer questions to define the situation: is it a car accident, illness or an injury, a fire, an offence, are you lost or locked up? Are you the only one concerned, is it someone else or several people? Do you have pain, injuries, etc.
You can also send your medical form that you have previously completed on your iPhone and even notify the emergency contacts you have designated in the Health app. They will be kept informed of the situation at the same time as you. Other information may be requested from you to provide more details concerning the location or the risks such as a gas or fuel leak for example).
After answering the questionnaire, the connection to the satellite starts. To help you connect, the iPhone presents a small radar on the screen that tells you how to orient the device in an optimal way. When the connection is established, the information previously collected is transmitted. You will stay in contact – by text only – with an operator until help arrives, who may ask you further questions.
Apple has done a pretty good job of making it as easy as possible for you to take emergency calls when needed. Nevertheless, there are ultimately a lot of manipulations to perform to make an emergency call outside network coverage and transmit the correct information. Not to mention the state of panic that can prevail during an emergency. Also, it is better to prepare the ground. Start by filling out your medical form (from the Health app on the iPhone) if you haven’t already done so. Simply tap on your avatar in the Health app and then Medical ID. Indicate your blood group, your treatments and contraindications, allergies, etc. Remember that this sheet can be read by the emergency services (firefighters, Samu, etc.) without even unlocking the iPhone. Useful if you are inert or unable to answer the questions put to you.
You can also indicate an emergency contact in the medical form. He can be contacted by the emergency services to be kept informed of your situation. The iPhone can also automatically launch a call to the latter in the event of detection of a fall or accident, for example.
Finally, to familiarize you with the satellite emergency call procedure, Apple has provided a demonstration tool. Open the Settings app then tap emergency apple (placed under the Face ID and passcode option). Then scroll down the page and tap Try the demo of the Satellite emergency call section. Follow the procedure, during which the communication to the cellular network and to the WiFi network is cut off).
How much does the Satellite Emergency Call cost?
We are often suspicious of the addition of a new function at Apple. Good surprise, the emergency calls by satellite can be used free of charge for two years after the activation of the iPhone 14 or 14 Pro. Apple does not specify what will happen beyond the first two years. The function can therefore be activated in metropolitan France, but also in Guadeloupe and Martinique, in Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin and Saint Pierre-et-Miquelon. Besides North America, it can also be enjoyed in Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland.