First look at satellite messages in iOS 18

Apple has been gradually expanding its suite of satellite connectivity features for iPhone, and iOS 18 brings a big new one in the form of Satellite Messaging. The feature allows users to send and receive iMessages and text messages, including emoji and Tapbacks, while out of range of cellular and Wi-Fi networks.

CNET met with Apple’s senior director of platform product marketing, Kurt Knight, this week for a first look at how the feature works, while iJustine offered a similar walkthrough.

When your phone detects that it is out of range of terrestrial networks, you receive a pop-up alert providing quick access to all available satellite services, including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Find My and now Messages .

Satellite messages can also be accessed directly from the Messages app when you’re off the terrestrial network, with iOS displaying a map to help you point your ‌iPhone‌ at an available satellite. From there, it works like a normal Messages conversation, and you can send and receive messages, emoji, and Tapbacks. Chat messages sent via iMessage are also end-to-end encrypted when sent via satellite.

iMessages can be sent freely via satellite, but there are limitations on SMS due to the volume of promotional and automated messages passing through this protocol. Your emergency contacts and specified family members will be able to contact you via SMS at any time, but for all other contacts you will need to send the first SMS message via satellite, which will then allow them to respond for a period of time.

Notably, despite support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) in ‌iOS 18‌ later this year, messages via satellite will not initially work with ‌RCS‌. Knight says the ‌RCS‌ protocol has not yet been optimized to a small enough size to work over a satellite connection, at least as far as Apple is concerned.

As with Apple’s other satellite services, Satellite Messages will initially launch only in the United States with ‌iOS 18‌ before expanding to other countries later. Apple’s satellite services work on the iPhone 14 and later, and although Apple has indicated that it will eventually charge for satellite services, it continues to offer them for free for now.