I was on the hill in Brooklyn'sProspect Park last Friday. I was trying to get a clear view of the sky so I could connect with a satellite, and I had an Apple device in my hand. I pretended to be alone in the wilderness in order to get a feel for Apple's new emergency alert system.
This feature was announced back in September and will be rolled out later today in the US and Canada before launching in France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. You can still send for help if you don't have a cellular signal or a wi-fi connection. It is not similar to a satellite phone. You can only text, which is the main difference.
When I was testing out the feature, I didn't text my emergency dispatch. People who need help would be distracted by that. I was given a demo phone by Apple, but no texts were sent to it. Texts are sent to the closest emergency services. Apple's relay service will call them if there aren't any nearby that accept texts. The service will be free for the first two years but eventually you will have to pay.
The first thing you need to do is call the emergency number. Emergency calls can be sent to another carrier if your carrier is unavailable. You can see an Emergency Text via Satellite icon if your phone can't connect. It took 30 seconds for this to come up.
You will see a prompt to report emergency once you tap that button. You can specify what type of situation you are in after that. You can decide if you want to notify your emergency contacts. I was uninjured during my demo and the questionnaires is easy to understand. It would be more difficult if you were in pain.
You can see a graphic of a grayed-out satellite with an arrow that tells you which way to go. If you point your phone in that direction, it will turn green. You wait, and then... A large amount.
Texting via satellite takes more time than regular texting. It takes around 30 seconds to send a message if the skies are clear. You could be waiting for a long time if there are hills blocking the horizon or dense foliage. There is an oak tree in the park. Sometimes my messages are not very long. I mean about 15 minutes. I was reminded of loading pages on dial-up sometimes.
Satellite texting requires more patience.
The Emergency Questionnaire, your Medical ID, and your location will be included in the initial text. In order to give emergency services a description of your location, there will be a few back and forths. You can sit and wait after you've been told emergency services are on the way.
There is no way of knowing how long each message will take to send or receive. You learn to keep your text short and to the point. It will be much quicker if you say it is near big rock on a hill next to an oak tree. The process takes about three to five minutes, but it feels slower than regular texting.
It takes a while to send and receive text messages. There is a mini status bar that I could use to keep track of the satellite's position. There was a buzz when I moved out of the range.
You don't have to raise your arm or hold your phone in order to connect to a satellite, that's great. If it isn't in a backpack or pocket, you can hold it. I was trying to film a demo and take pictures when my arms got tired.
There is a high chance that you will have to turn around a lot because of the rapid movement of satellites. If you break a leg, you may not be able to move around quickly. It was comforting to know that you can keep the phone in your hand. If you can move, it is easy to get a clear signal.
You should not learn how to use this during an emergency. There's a demo mode. If you want to try it, you can go to the settings under Emergency SOS and try it.
The demo mode shows you how the feature works. After you are shown a brief overview of how it works, you can try to connect to a satellite. You will get to speak with fake emergency services after that.
It is a good idea to give the demo mode a try the next time you visit a camping or hiking spot. It would be great if you could get a sense of your satellite connection in that area. If it isn't worth it, you may want to consider a backup device.
Satellite internet is mostly used for emergencies, but you can use it in other ways. You are in charge of setting up a picnic at a state park, but you don't have a cell phone, and you don't know where you are. You can use the Find My app to send your location to someone else. I think it will work in rural areas if you live in a city.
Go to the Find My app, navigate to the Me tab, scroll down to My location via satellite, and then tap Send My location. Once again, you will have to orient yourself towards a satellite and wait for the satellite to reach you. It is easy to do, but you can only send your location once a day.
Emergency satellite texting is something you should never have to do. I would rather have this in my back pocket than nothing. I caveat that my experience was in a city park, and I was never in danger, so your mileage may vary in a more challenging location. It requires a lot of patience, but that is to be expected when you send things via satellite. If you can see yourself using this feature, you should try the demo and set up your Medical ID and emergency contacts before using it. The Boy and Girl Scouts say it's important to be prepared.
Victoria Song is a photographer.
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