A New iPhone Feature May Have Saved Lives in Maui

Maui is still reeling from last week’s terrible wildfires and recovery is going to take many years.  It’s the deadliest wildfires in the U.S. in over a century.

(If you can help, please do.  Here’s a list of charities.)

Hopefully you’re NEVER in any kind of life-or-death situation like that.  But if you are, this iPhone feature has been going viral.

Last fall, Apple added a new emergency text feature that lets you text 911 even if you don’t have a cell signal.

Unless you have one of the newest iPhones, you don’t have it yet.  Only iPhone 14s do.  And you might need to update your iOS as well.  But here’s how it works.

If you try to call 911 and can’t connect, a button pops up that says, “Emergency Text via Satellite.”  (Here’s a screenshot.)

On-screen instructions guide you through it.  But basically, it shows where to point your phone to connect directly to a satellite overhead.  (Here’s a screenshot.)

The texts don’t send as fast.  It can take 15 seconds, or over a minute if you’re blocked by trees.  But it lets you contact emergency services, and tells them your location.

Someone posted screenshots after five people in a van used it to get help during the big fire in Maui last week.  They said it “literally saved their lives.”  (Huff Post)

-Mitch-