Apple on Monday, made its emergency satellite communication features available to Australian and New Zealand users.
According to the company, iPhone 14 users in the region can contact emergency services and share their position with friends and family even when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
The service was launched with the release of the iPhone 14 last September, and it was first made available in the United States and Canada in November. Since then, the service has grown to 12 nations, with two more joining on Monday.
Apple stated that emergency communication through satellite features may be initiated by swiftly touching the power button five times, holding the power and volume buttons simultaneously, or dialling 000.
If a user does not have access to the internet, the system will direct them to use satellite communications by completing a brief questionnaire regarding the incident. This information, together with the location, is relayed to dispatchers to alert them to the problem.
The device also directs users to point their iPhone at the satellite in order to send a message.
According to the firm, because to the low bandwidth of satellite connections, Apple compresses the message by 3x so that it may be sent swiftly.
Furthermore, if you’re on an off-the-grid hike and want to notify your family of your location, you may do so via the Find My app even if you’re not connected to a cellular or Wi-Fi network.
To do so, go to the “Me” tab and choose “Send My Location” from the “My Location via Satellite” option.
While Apple has expanded its satellite communication capability to 14 nations, competitor phone manufacturers such as Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi are also planning to introduce the feature in the future.