Three skiers trapped by an avalanche in California sent distress signals through their iPhones when no cell towers or Wi‑Fi networks could reach them, and officials involved in the response said the satellite messaging feature helped locate and rescue the group, according to The Guardian. The incident, one of the most visible real-world tests of Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite, raises a practical question for the millions of people who carry an iPhone but have never opened the feature: how does it actually work, and what do users need to know before they lose signal?
Avalanche Rescue Puts Satellite SOS to the Test
The skiers were caught in conditions where conventional communication simply did not exist. No cellular coverage, no Wi‑Fi, and no way to call 911 through normal channels. According to reporting from The Guardian, the group activated Emergency SOS via satellite on their iPhones and transmitted location data along with brief messages describing their situation. Responders say the satellite link enabled communication that would have been impossible through any other means available to the skiers at the time, and the transmitted coordinates helped search teams pinpoint where survivors were located.
What makes this case significant is not just the outcome but the gap it exposes. Many iPhone owners with an iPhone 14 or later have satellite SOS capability built into the device, yet awareness of the feature and how to trigger it remains uneven. The California avalanche is a sharp illustration of the difference between owning a tool and knowing how to use it when seconds count. Responders involved in the rescue noted that the satellite connection bridged a communication void that traditional infrastructure could not fill, which is exactly the scenario Apple designed the feature to address.
Step-by-Step Activation When You Lose Signal
Emergency SOS via satellite is available on iPhone 14 and later models running a current version of iOS. It’s designed for situations where cellular and Wi‑Fi aren’t available; when a user tries to reach emergency services without a standard connection, the iPhone can prompt them to connect to a satellite overhead. The process requires a clear view of the sky, meaning dense tree cover, buildings, or deep canyons can block the signal. Users follow on-screen directions that guide them to point the phone toward the satellite’s position, and the device provides real-time feedback on alignment so the connection can be established as quickly as possible.
Once connected, the iPhone walks the user through a short questionnaire designed to relay the most critical information to emergency dispatchers: the nature of the emergency, whether anyone is injured, and how many people need help. The phone compresses these answers into a small data packet that the satellite can transmit even with limited bandwidth. Location data from GPS is included automatically. The time to send and receive messages can vary depending on satellite positioning and environmental obstructions. Users can also share their location with trusted contacts through the Find My app using the same satellite pathway, which gives family members or friends a way to track someone heading into remote terrain before an emergency occurs.
One detail that trips up casual users: the feature is not buried in a settings menu, but it also does not announce itself. The satellite option surfaces only after the phone fails to find a standard connection and the user attempts to call emergency services or send a message. That design keeps the interface simple in everyday use but means people may only discover the option in a crisis. Practicing the connection process ahead of time, which Apple allows through a demo mode that simulates satellite alignment without actually contacting emergency services, can cut response friction significantly when real danger arrives.
The Satellite Network Behind the Feature
The technology that makes this possible depends on a dedicated satellite constellation operated through a partnership between Apple and Globalstar. According to Globalstar’s 2024 annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple purchased 400,000 Class B Units in a special-purpose entity, referred to in the filing as Globalstar SPE, for $400 million. That stake represents a 20% equity interest in the entity, as described in the filing.
This financial arrangement is not a minor licensing deal. A $400 million investment signals that Apple treats satellite connectivity as core infrastructure rather than an experimental add-on. The Globalstar SPE structure gives Apple an equity interest tied to the satellite connectivity arrangement described in Globalstar’s filing. For users, this means the satellite network is not a third-party afterthought tacked onto the iPhone experience. It is a system Apple has a financial stake in maintaining and expanding, which affects long-term reliability. The filing describes an entity structure involving spectrum-related assets; beyond that, the practical takeaway for users is that the service relies on dedicated satellite capacity rather than local cell towers.
What the Feature Cannot Do
Despite the California rescue and Apple’s investment, satellite SOS has real limitations that users should understand before relying on it. The connection requires a direct line of sight to the sky. Weather and physical obstructions can affect connectivity, and obstacles like canyon walls, dense forest canopy, or the interior of a building can block the signal. In an avalanche scenario, that can mean the feature works best if at least part of the phone and the person using it remain near the surface. The system is built around short, structured messages rather than a traditional voice call experience. Users cannot have a back-and-forth conversation with a dispatcher in the same way a 911 call allows. The questionnaire format is efficient but rigid, and follow-up questions from relay centers must fit into the same compressed messaging channel.
Timing is another constraint. Satellite passes are not continuous, and the system relies on low-Earth-orbit satellites that move quickly across the sky. Depending on the user’s geographic position and the orbital path of available satellites, there may be brief windows when no satellite is overhead. The on-screen interface tells users when to expect the next connection opportunity, but in a fast-moving emergency like an avalanche or flash flood, even a short delay can feel significant. Battery life also matters. If a phone is nearly dead when the emergency begins, there may not be enough charge to complete the satellite handshake and transmit the message. Keeping the device reasonably charged before heading into backcountry, enabling low-power mode when signal is poor, and limiting nonessential use all directly affect whether the feature will work when needed.
Closing the Awareness Gap
The gap between feature availability and user readiness is the central tension in satellite emergency messaging. Millions of iPhones sold since 2022 include the necessary hardware, yet many owners have never tested the demo mode or read through the activation steps. The California avalanche rescue demonstrates that the technology performs as designed under genuine duress, with responders confirming that the satellite link helped locate survivors who had no other way to call for help. But the feature’s value drops sharply if someone discovers it for the first time while buried under snow, stranded in a canyon, or lost on a remote trail with a fading battery and no clear view of the sky.
Bridging that gap will likely require a mix of user education and outdoor safety culture. For individuals, the most practical step is to treat satellite SOS like any other piece of safety gear: learn how it works before you need it. That can mean running through the demo at home, understanding that the feature triggers only when normal networks are unavailable, and planning trips with battery management and sky visibility in mind. For guides, ski patrols, and park rangers, it may be worth folding satellite SOS instructions into pre-trip briefings alongside avalanche beacons and paper maps. The California avalanche has already become a case study in how a smartphone can become a lifeline when traditional networks fail; whether that lesson turns into routine preparedness will determine how many future rescues benefit from the same invisible link overhead.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
