Apple announced during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), that satellite messaging would be added to the company’s Messages app.
This is expected to be an additional feature alongside the Emergency SOS feature, which is already available and free on iPhone 14 and iPhone 15.
Some believed that, given the expense of this technology, Apple could require a subscription fee to use it.
Apple has reportedly confirmed that it will not be charging consumers to use Messages via Satellite for now, according to CNET.
Senior Director of Platform Product Marketing, Kurt Knight said, “With just a software update, we’re going be able to make this broadly available to tons of people overnight.”
The Emergency SOS feature has been free for users for two years, meaning there’s a chance the extension could be free for a limited time, before Apple introduces a subscription fee.
This feature is expected to be widely used by individuals travelling on planes, as it provides a way to keep in touch with loved ones without having to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi.
Reportedly, the technology also supports features found on Messages, such as Tapbacks and effects in iMessage. This, however, won’t work in group chats, and the user won’t be able to send pictures or videos.
SMS texting is also compatible with the feature, but not end-to-end encrypted. CNET also reported it won’t work over the upcoming RCS standard, as the data packets are still too large.
