Android fans discover a free life-saving phone upgrade that’s been on the iPhone for ages

It looks like Google is planning to introduce a life-saving feature on some smartphones this year.

Eagle-eyed Android fans spotted a new option tucked away in the settings.

However, it is not ready for use yet.

The tool is known as Satellite SOS and if you think it sounds familiar, you’re not mistaken.

Apple has its own version for the iPhone, which was launched over a year ago now.

Last year we had a sneaking suspicion that Google was working on Satellite SOS after hidden code was discovered by nerds.

For those who don’t know, Satellite SOS allows users to reach out in emergencies when there is no data connection or Wi-Fi.

And it’s already being credited with helping save lives.

The feature was noticed by 9to5Google under the Safety & Emergencies section on the latest Pixel smartphones.

Leaked screenshots say: “Your Pixel lets you send messages to emergency services and share your location if you can’t connect to a mobile or Wi-Fi network.”

It’s not clear if the tool will be rolled out to current Pixel handsets or something for new handsets.

And while it has been spotted on a Pixel, some are hoping it will be more widely available on Android.

However, your handset must have the correct chip technology to communicate with satellites.

“This is fantastic,” wrote one user on Reddit.

“Especially for rural areas/emergency services off the beaten track.”

As it stands, the button doesn’t work and there’s no official word on it, so it looks like the inclusion of Satellite SOS was an accident.

The other problem is that we don’t know yet which countries it will be available in, so we’ll have to wait until Google properly launches Satellite SOS to find out.

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