Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature is now available in 17 countries.
On Monday, Apple released the iOS 17.6 update for iPhone models that qualified. At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 on June 10, the Apple gave a first peek at its next iOS 18 release. The most recent iOS 17 version does not provide any revolutionary new capabilities to the iPhone. Nevertheless, Emergency SOS by Satellite, a crucial feature that can save the user's life in emergency scenarios, has been extended to an other nation.
Japan Receives SOS Alert Via Satellite Feature
According to the business, after updating to iOS 17.6, qualified iPhone owners in Japan can now utilize the Emergency SOS via Satellite capability. With the most recent version, individuals can use satellite-based communication to get in touch with emergency services even when they are in areas without Wi-Fi or a cellular network.
In the US and Canada, this function was originally released in November 2022. It was extended to a few other areas in the months that followed. At the time, Apple declared that users will be able to access Emergency SOS via Satellite for free for a two-year period. The manufacturer of the iPhone, however, decided to give it an additional year, so it will remain free to use at least until 2025.
SOS Emergency Using Available Satellites
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US are the regions where Apple claims the Emergency SOS via Satellite capability is currently accessible. Only the iPhone 14 and later devices are compatible with it.
The iOS 17.6 update not only adds more functionality to the satellite-based communication capabilities but also resolves known bugs. It fixes issues with MarketplaceKit and the AVFoundation Capture subsystem, which are developer-only settings, according to Apple's release notes.
Apple released updates for iPadOS 17.6, tvOS 17.6, watchOS 10.6, and visionOS 1.3 for its devices in addition to iOS 17.6. In simultaneously, it unveiled the iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 1 update, which gave the iPhone access to features enabled by Apple Intelligence, a collection of artificial intelligence (AI) services.
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