With Android 14, you may soon be able to send texts via the satellite feature

Users will be able to use their devices to send and receive text messages once the update is released, even in regions where mobile coverage is limited or unavailable.

San Francisco: Google’s Pixel team has hinted that Android 14 could bring a significant advancement in mobile communication technology. The team tweeted that users will soon be able to send and receive satellite SMS with Android 14. This will allow people to stay connected even if they are in areas with poor or no cellular coverage, according to Phone Arena.

Users will be able to use their devices to send and receive text messages once the update is released, even in regions where mobile coverage is limited or unavailable. In addition, the tweet also mentioned that Pixel and Galaxy phones will be among the first Android models to have the hardware to support satellite SMS.

SMS satellite function

“SMS Satellite will be added to Android and requires the right hardware, it’s up to the manufacturer if Pixel and Galaxy are among the first to have it,” said Pixel #TeamPixel. The release of the final and stable version of Android 14 is imminent, with an estimated two to three weeks to go until the launch. However, the full scope of satellite support in smartphones remains uncertain.

Emergency SOS from Apple

Apple already supports the Emergency SOS via satellite feature. With iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, users can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when they are out of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. The feature had proven its life-saving potential by helping to rescue people trapped in distant lands.

The Emergency SOS function via satellite helped save two people in a serious car accident in the US. According to MacRumors, the incident occurred on Angeles Forest Highway in California’s Angeles National Forest, with a vehicle hurtling over the side of a mountain and falling about 300 feet into a remote ravine.

An iPhone 14 in the car detected the crash and sent the information to rescuers with Emergency SOS via satellite as there was no mobile signal.

About Android 14

Google is finalizing Android 14 in preparation for its major release at the end of summer in 2023. The most recent version currently available is Android 14 Beta 4. The stable version isn’t coming to all the latest and greatest Android phones for at least a month, so there are a ton of new features to discover and learn in the meantime, according to Android Police as of July 12, 2023.

(with IANS inputs)