If it weren’t for the iPhone, the world would have heard about the tragic death of 6 people

An avalanche occurred near Lake Tahoe in the USA, trapping 6 people. One of them managed to get to the surface, but she was unable to call for help due to the lack of mobile reception. Fortunately, the person had an iPhone in his pocket, not an Android smartphone. This is because thanks to the emergency SOS function, the iPhone was able to connect to the satellite and send a text message about the event to the appropriate authorities.

Of course, if the owner of the smartphone was also trapped in the snow, this option would not be of much use. It requires optical visibility with the satellite with which the smartphone communicates. So, point your iPhone at the sky and then move it according to the on-screen instructions until you point at the desired satellite. Only then is it possible to send a text message this way.

This option is available from iPhone 14 and up and requires at least iOS 16.1. Unfortunately, it is not available in Poland. And this despite the fact that our Ministry of Digitization appealed to Apple in 2024 to include it in our country.