Matthew Cooper
Nov 16, 2023
Users of iPhone 14 would get free access to its emergency SOS feature — which was introduced in 2022 — for another year, Apple confirmed.
The feature allows users to share their location through satellite from areas without a network by using Apple's FindMy app and sending messages to emergency services.
Apple, while announcing the development, said the feature has “helped save lives around the world.”
“From a man who was rescued after his car plummeted over a 400-foot cliff in Los Angeles, to lost hikers found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy, we continue to hear stories of our customers being able to connect with emergency responders when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to,” Apple’s Kaiann Drance said in a press release.
“We are so happy iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users can take advantage of this groundbreaking service for two more years for free.”
Read more: iPhone 15 Pro Max camera upgrades
After its initial launch in the United States and Canada, the service has been rolled out to 16 countries and regions.
Users of the iPhone 15 line-up will continue to have two years of free access to the service, provided through a partnership between Apple and satellite operator Globalstar. That means that the service will now lapse at the same time for both iPhone generations in November 2025.
Apple also introduced a roadside assistance feature earlier this year, helping its smartphone users connect via satellite to the American Automobile Association for help in the United States.
Other safety capabilities that can provide assistance when it matters most include:
- Users can open the Find My app and share their location via satellite to reassure friends and family of their whereabouts while travelling off the grid.
- Crash Detection can detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services if a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone.
- Check-In allows users to automatically notify friends and family when they have made it to their destination safely.3
- Users can set up their Medical ID in the Health app to help first responders access critical medical information from the Lock Screen without needing a passcode.
