With the iOS 16.1 update, Apple introduced a new feature called Emergency SOS via Satellite. Compatible with iPhone 14 series phones, it lets users contact emergency services in areas with no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
According to a recent report by MacRumors, a man recently put the feature to test when he was stranded in a rural part of the state of Alaska. On December 1, Alaska State Troopers said they received a message that a man, who was travelling by a snow machine from Noorvik to Kotzebue was stuck in a remote location with no cellular connectivity.
The Apple Emergency Response Center team said they worked with local authorities and rescue teams along with the Northwest Arctic Borough Search and Rescue Coordinator and sent several volunteers to the GPS coordinates received by Apple when the man sent the SOS message.
