iPhone 14 Emergency SOS features free for one more year

A year after releasing Emergency SOS connectivity alongside the iPhone 14 series, Apple is extending the feature’s free trial by an additional year.

Emergency SOS allows iPhone 14 or newer users to call for help when off the grid. There are a few limitations, but for the most part, if you’re in a cellular dead zone with an iPhone and have a clear view of the sky, you can contact emergency services.

When you’re off the grid, you can also share your location through the ‘Find My’ app so people back at home can make sure you’re safe when out alone.

So far in Canada, a handful of people have used the feature to contact emergency services while hurt, lost or in a dire situation. This ranges from winter car crashes in western Canada to hiking accidents and even the start of a forest fire in northern Ontario. Overall, Emergency SOS is a huge selling feature if you spend a lot of time in remote areas.

This feature also works with the iPhone and Apple Watch Car Crash Detection, so if you’re in an accident and one of those devices detects you’re not responsive, the iPhone 14 (or newer) will use satellite connectivity to call for help if you’re in an under-serviced area.

News recently broke that a Qualcomm-powered Android equivalent feature has flopped. A press release from Iridium, the satellite company Qualcomm initially partnered with, announced that the chip maker had terminated its agreement since no Android phone manufacturers wanted to use the tech. Iridium could still partner with other companies directly to get satellite connectivity on Android, but for now, Apple has no competition in the smartphone space regarding this feature. Of course, purpose-made satellite phones still exist, but they often cost roughly $500.

When Apple launched Emergency SOS, it said that it would start charging for the feature someday, but for now, it’s free for an additional year.

If you want to find out more about the specifics of how Emergency SOS works, there’s a great demo built into the iPhone. Open the Settings app and scroll down to the ‘Emergency SOS’ section. Open that page, and the demo is at the bottom. You can also read our initial hands-on with the feature.