iPhone Now Supports Messaging Between Subscribers Via Satellite

With the release of iOS 18, Apple smartphones now have a number of new features, including the ability to send messages via satellite. For several years, Apple has offered a feature called “Satellite SOS”, which allows users to contact emergency services via satellite. Now, iPhone owners in the United States can send regular text messages to friends and family using the same system.

This system will work if a user tries to send text messages when there is no Wi-Fi or cellular service. “Messages via Satellite will automatically prompt you to connect to a nearby satellite so you can send and receive text messages, emoji, and Tapbacks via iMessage and SMS,” Apple explained, noting that texts sent via satellite using iMessage are protected by end-to-end encryption.

The new feature was useful for iPhone users and residents of several US states affected by Hurricane Helena, which claimed more than 100 lives and destroyed power lines, cell towers, roads and bridges.