You should always keep your personal information up to date. This includes your emergency contacts (which you can find at Settings > Safety & emergency > Emergency contacts) and your Google Account. Your “name, email address, phone number, location, device information, and emergency contacts will be shared with emergency services and satellite service providers.”

If you click on start Satellite SOS will first ask you to answer a few questions about your emergency, such as whether you’re in a vehicle and whether anyone is in immediate danger. Once you’ve answered those questions, you’ll be able to connect to a satellite. A large circle will appear on the screen, offering suggested directions for your phone. It needs to be flat in your palm, and you need to be outdoors, away from buildings, trees, and mountains (as best you can). To get the best signal, make sure your grip doesn’t come into contact with the top half of the Pixel.

Photo: Julian Chokkattu

Once you point your phone in the right direction, a connection should be established. You will now see a text message view where you can send messages to emergency services detailing the situation. Hopefully, rescue crews will be on their way soon after.

Just because you may If you use smartphones like the Pixel 9 or iPhone 15 to reach emergency services via satellite, that doesn’t mean your phone is suddenly the best option for connectivity in remote areas. Satellite messengers are more robust and durable, and since you probably won’t use them all the time like you would a smartphone, they have better battery life. They also offer more features, like creating waypoints. All in all, Satellite eSOS is a helpful backup feature, but if you regularly find yourself in remote areas with limited or no cellular service, there’s still a place for dedicated satellite messengers.

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