Apple are rumoured to be looking into utilising satellite features for users in emergency situations according to recent news articles. If the rumblings on the tech rumour mill are true the next iPhones will come with two emergency features making use of low earth orbit satellite calls and messages.

The emergency message via satellite feature would supposedly sit alongside existing iMessage and SMS functionality and would allow users to text emergency services when there is no signal which is particularly useful in more rural areas and those with poor network coverage. Messages will be restricted to a shorter length but will deliver to first response services even if the end user device is set to Do Not Disturb. This feature could be extended to calls in the future also.

The second exciting development could see users able to report crisis situations such as plane crashes, severe accidents and fires etc. Users may be able to report details of the incident at length with specifics like which emergency services are required to attend, if anyone is armed or dangerous and send local information and data from the users Health app whilst notifying their own stores emergency contacts.

It’s great to see Apple continuing to push to technological boundaries whilst complimenting their existing features and functionality.

Here at 4Heron we’ve been lucky enough to work on several apps which use critical alerts to bypass silent and Do Not Disturb modes for use in medical emergencies. To find out how we can utilise this technology for your solution contact us.

Use of critical alerts feature is limited to health, public safety, and security.