Apple Launches Emergency SOS via Satellite in Mexico for iPhone and Apple Watch

Apple has launched its Emergency SOS via satellite service in Mexico, making the feature available on the iPhone 14 and newer models, as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The expansion brings the safety feature to the recently released iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and the new Apple Watch Ultra 3. It allows users to text emergency services when they are outside of cellular and Wi-Fi range.

The feature works by guiding a user to point their device at a satellite. After answering a short questionnaire, the iPhone sends a compressed message containing the user's location, altitude, battery level, and Medical ID information to a relay center. Apple-trained specialists then contact local emergency services on the user's behalf. Since its debut with the iPhone 14, Apple says the service has helped save numerous lives.

"In a country as geographically diverse as Mexico, there are remote regions where traditional mobile coverage can be limited. Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone and Apple Watch Ultra 3 offers a new and powerful way for people to get in touch with public emergency services when other means of communication are not available," said Juan Antonio Suárez Sánchez, head of the National Information Center. "This technology can help emergency services locate and attend to people in critical situations, when every second counts."


Emergency SOS via satellite is offered free for two years with the activation of a compatible device. Mexico joins a growing list of countries where the service is available, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and much of Europe. Apple notes the feature requires iOS 18.4 or later and watchOS 26.0.1.

The launch also brings the previously available Messages via satellite and Find My via satellite to the region, allowing users to send non-emergency texts and share their location with friends and family when off the grid. The service is provided through a partnership with satellite network operator Globalstar.