With an iPhone 14 or later and iOS 18 or later, you can send/receive messages even with no cellular or Wi-Fi signals.
No matter what certain politicians have recently said, we are not at the end of the Hurricane season in the U.S. We are at the halfway point which means that more Hurricanes are likely to hit. If Apple had a marketing department that didn’t mind scaring the hell out of consumers, it could run an ad letting iPhone users in Hurricane-prone regions of the country know that they need to upgrade to an iPhone 14 model or later. And it’s obviously not so they can use Apple Intelligence since you need an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any of the new iPhone 16 models to run Apple’s AI initiative.Starting with iOS 18, iPhone 14 models and later can send anyone a message using a satellite.
No, the reason why those in areas of the U.S. that are frequently spooked by Hurricanes need an iPhone 14 or later model is for the satellite connectivity feature. When iOS 16.1 was released, it brought Emergency SOS via satellite to the iPhone 14 (and subsequently later models). This feature allows those stuck in an area without cellular service or Wi-Fi to connect to emergency services via satellite.
Before the next Hurricane, those with an iPhone 14 or later should try the demo for Messages via satellite. | Image credit-Apple
When connected, you can text to emergency responders your Medical ID and emergency contact information, but only if you’ve taken the time to set them up. You will answer the emergency questionnaire, share your location (including elevation), and how much battery life remains on your iPhone.
