Hurricane Milton Alert: Keep Connected When Cell Towers Go Down with Starlink and Apple!

In advance of Hurricane Milton hitting Florida, and in response to the devastation from Hurricane Helene - SpaceX and T-Mobile have worked with the FCC to push forward the timeline for rolling out beta text messaging service from Starlink satellites directly to cellular phones.

Satellite text messaging has been enabled as of last night for all T-Mobile customers in areas impacted by Helene, and all across Florida.

No special phone model or software is needed - SpaceX is broadcasting a T-Mobile 4G signal directly from a subset of Starlink satellites that have been equipped with a cellular secondary payload.

SpaceX and T-Mobile are also working with other carriers so that emergency broadcast alerts will go through to all cellular devices - no matter what carrier or device you have.

The ability to communicate during a natural disaster can save lives and ease concerns for loved ones - and it is great to see companies and the FCC working to get this capability out there, even if it isn't fully ready yet.

And as a reminder - Apple's latest iOS 18 release brings satellite text messaging and iMessages to every iPhone since 2022's iPhone 14, regardless of cellular carrier.

Everyone who has an iPhone should make sure that they upgrade their OS before the storm hits.

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Starlink Direct To Cellular Limitations

In partnership with T-Mobile, SpaceX launched the first six Starlink V2 Mini satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities in January 2024, and it has been continuing to launch more cellular equipped Starlink satellites ever since with the goal of having enough in orbit by the end of 2024 to roll out beta text messaging service, with voice and low-speed data to follow in the years ahead.

This is NOT Starlink high-speed broadband to your cell phone - it is a secondary payload riding along on certain Starlink satellites that broadcasts a cellular signal (using T-Mobile spectrum in the USA) that provides coverage where cellular towers can not reach.

Because the constellation is not fully deployed, there will be brief gaps in coverage - so text messages may take multiple tries to go through.

And keep in mind that this is a weak signal that will not reach indoors - SpaceX notes that it "works best outdoors, and occasionally works indoors near a window".

Please - during the height of the storm, do NOT go outdoors or near a window to TXT unless absolutely necessary!

If you do have an emergency and there is no cellular voice coverage - texting "911" should work in most areas to get in touch with emergency services.

Apple iPhone Owners - Update ASAP!

Apple's iOS 18 has been out for a month now - but many iPhones have not auto-updated yet.

If you have an iPhone 14 or newer - you can manually upgrade and/or make sure that you have the latest iOS release by going to "Settings" then "General" then "Software Update".

The latest release is 18.0.1.

Earlier iOS releases supported emergency services text messaging via satellite (just call 911, and if there is no cellular the text interface will come up), but now with iOS 18 you will be able to message friends and family as well as an emergency call center.

We encourage everyone with an iPhone 14 or newer in the potential path of the storm to upgrade before you might need this feature.

Apple's satellite messaging (which uses Globalstar satellites) will only kick in when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi available - but it provides a valuable lifeline that has already facilitated rescues when Hurricane Helene hit.

Sending messages to groups and sharing photos or videos isn’t supported over satellite, and the character count of messages may be limited. Incoming messages are also blocked other than from people who you have listed as emergency contacts, or whom you have recently messaged with, or from people who are replying to messages that you previously sent out via satellite.

This keeps text spam from clogging the airwaves.

For more on how Apple's satellite messaging features work, and the limitations, see Apple's guide on the feature.

TIP: Apple's satellite features only work when there is absolutely no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity, which is (fortunately!) a rare situation for many people. But you can try out the satellite features in Demo mode to get familiar with how they work. To explore the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature, scroll to the bottom of the "Emergency SOS" settings panel, and click "Try Demo".

Android Satellite SOS Connectivity on Google’s Pixel 9 Series

Google's Pixel 9 series (released in August 2024) is the first widely available Android phone with built in dedicated satellite connectivity hardware features. 

Google's "Satellite SOS" works similar to Apple's system - and it kicks in when you dial 911 in a location where there is no cellular or satellite signal.

Here is Google's instruction page and tips.

It is unclear if and when other Android phone makers will implement similar capability, especially considering cellular providers (starting with T-Mobile and Starlink) are working to support satellite to cellular connectivity without special hardware being needed.

Stay Safe, Everyone!

We here at the Mobile Internet Resource Center are on pins-and-needles as Hurricane Milton barrels towards so many friends and loved ones in Florida. And we have one of our core team members still without power in the midst of Helene's devastation in North Carolina.

We encourage everyone to stay safe, and to keep connected to let your loved ones know that you are OK as Milton passes.

Spread the word about these new satellite capabilities - it might save lives, and ease worried minds.

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