Overview
- Apple disclosed in its iPhone 18 Pro press release on Sept. 9, 2026 that iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 devices activated before midnight Pacific Time that day in supported countries will receive an extra year of free satellite access.
- The free services covered include Emergency SOS via satellite, Messages via satellite, Find My via satellite and Roadside Assistance via satellite.
- Access depends on activation in countries that Apple supports and on Apple’s partner Globalstar, which provides the satellite network that carries messages and emergency calls.
- This is at least the third extension of the original two‑year trial that began with the iPhone 14 in 2022, and Apple has not said if or when it will start charging users after the renewed extension.
- For users, the extension preserves a critical safety net in areas without cellular or Wi‑Fi service, and it raises questions about future costs and Globalstar capacity that could change how people plan for trips into remote areas.