One thing is for sure: getting stuck in the wild with no phone signal is no fun. Apple's iPhones have been able to connect to satellites to make SOS emergency calls for a couple of years now, in case you find yourself in trouble and without a signal, and now it looks like Android devices could be about to add this functionality as well.
According to code seen by Android Authority, Google is considering bringing emergency satellite communications to a future version of Android. The feature, dubbed Pixel Satellite SOS in code found in Android 15 beta 4, could help Android fans who find themselves in a bind when conventional emergency calls aren't possible.
This feature may sound familiar to you, and we've actually known about it for a while now. However, this is apparently the first time the name Pixel Satellite SOS has appeared. Android Authority's research also suggests that Google could be offering this feature for free for two years.
Interestingly, that two-year timeframe could change. The exact code discovered by Android Authority reads: “Satellite SOS is included at no charge for {two} years.” Since the ‘two’ is in parentheses, the number could be a marker that could be changed later. However, since Apple is offering its Emergency SOS via Satellite feature for two years to anyone with an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 series device, matching that timeframe would allow Google to compete with its biggest mobile rival.
Will it arrive next month?
When can you expect to enjoy this rumored feature? Well, the Google Pixel 9 is set to launch on August 13 and is expected to come with Android 15 out of the box, so that device seems like a likely candidate.
On top of that, the code contains the following text: “Your Pixel has been updated to support satellite communications.” That suggests that older Pixels might have the feature, though satellite communications requires specific hardware — something Android Authority doesn’t believe is present on older Pixels. Instead, “updated” could refer to an upcoming Pixel feature addition that would bring satellite communications to the Pixel 9 at some point in the future.
Of course, this is all assuming that Google actually decides to release this feature. Since it's only been seen in beta code so far, there's a chance it won't make it into the final version of Android. But given the success stories that have emerged from Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite, it makes sense that Google would want to offer something similar to Android fans.
