Google Messages to get satellite connectivity for emergency SOS

With iPhone 14, Apple introduced Emergency SOS via Satellite, which lets users contact emergency services in places with no cellular connection. Now, it seems Google wants to bring similar functionality to the Android pack.

As spotted by X (Twitter) user Neïl Rahmouni and further detailed by Mishaal Rahman, Google Messages could soon let you send emergency SOS messages through satellite connectivity (via Android Authority). Google has apparently begun adding the user interface (UI) components required to initiate emergency SOS messages via satellite within its Messages app.

Rahman notes in their X post:

Although the emergency SOS activity in the Messages app is currently a placeholder, it should be of no surprise that Google is adding this feature, given that they've already said they're working to enable satellite support in Android 14. Plus, Google Messages is the default messaging app on many Android phones from different brands, so it needs to support this feature so that a separate messaging app won't have to be built for phones that support satellite connectivity.

Satellite connectivity can be a helpful feature for Android users. Apple’s Emergency SOS has already proved to be a lifesaver. Just this month, a family was rescued from wildfires in Maui thanks to the iPhone's Emergency SOS via Satellite.

There is currently no news on when the emergency feature will start rolling out to Google Messages. While the search giant has announced that the satellite connectivity feature will be supported by Android 14, it may not be available on all phones. As Mishaal Rahmaan reported earlier, the feature will depend on the modem hardware in the device you are using.

As of now, Apple and Huawei are leading companies in terms of satellite connectivity on phones. In fact, Huawei beat Apple by launching this feature a week earlier with the Mate 50 and Mate 50 Pro phones (Via The Verge).

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