The lifesaving iPhone 15 Emergency SOS via Satellite is coming to two new countries

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A vital feature is coming to more iPhone owners.

iPhone 14 emergency SOS via satellite
(Image credit: Apple)
iPHONE 15: What you need to know

Teaser image for Apple Wonderlust event

(Image credit: Apple)

- Apple Event - LIVE reaction
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Pro /iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2
- iOS 17
- watchOS 10

Following the announcement of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineups Apple has also confirmed that it is expanding an existing and lifesaving feature to more people than ever before.

The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature debuted with the launch of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro last year, and it's expanded its availability to more countries at various points through the last 12 months. But now it's confirmed that two more European countries will come online this month just in time for the new iPhones to go on sale.

Starting later this month owners of models in the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, and iPhone 15 Pro lineups in Spain and Switzerland will be able to use Emergency SOS via Satellite for the first time.

16 countries and counting

Apple confirmed the move in a press release, noting that there are currently 14 countries and regions across three continents in which Emergency SOS via Satellite is now available. The addition of Spain and Switzerland will increase that number to 16 of course.

The new expansion comes as Apple gets ready to roll out Roadside Assistance via Satellite, a new feature exclusive to the United States that will allow people to use a similar interface to contact AAA when they need vehicle assistance outside of cellular coverage. There is no word yet on when the feature will roll out internationally, however. The feature will be available on existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, at least.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 15 event news and reactions now that Wonderlust is over. Don't miss all our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iOS 17and watchOS 10 coverage so far.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.