Please make sure you keep your personal information up to date, including your emergency contact details (which you can set). Settings > Safety and Emergency > Emergency Contacts) and your Google Account. “Your name, email address, phone number, location, device information, and emergency contacts will be shared with emergency services and satellite service providers.”
Tap to start Satellite SOS first asks you to answer a few questions about your emergency, including if you’re in a car and if anyone is in immediate danger. After you answer these questions, it will connect to the satellite. You’ll see a large circle on your screen showing you the direction to point your phone. Your phone should be flat in your palm, and you should be outdoors, as far away as possible from buildings, trees, and mountains. For best signal reception, try not to touch your phone to the top of your Pixel.
Photo: Julian Choccato
Once you point your phone in the right direction, it will connect. You’ll then be taken to a text message view where you can send a message to emergency services detailing your situation, and hopefully they’ll be on the scene in no time.
Now you can Even if you use a smartphone like the Pixel 9 or iPhone 15 to contact emergency responders via satellite, that doesn’t mean your smartphone is suddenly the best option for connectivity in the backcountry. Satellite messengers are more rugged and durable, and have better battery life because you won’t be using them all the time like a smartphone. They also offer more features, like creating waypoints. Overall, Satellite eSOS is a useful backup feature, but if you’re regularly in remote areas with limited or no cellular connectivity, a dedicated satellite messenger can still be useful.
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