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Over the years, we’ve seen companies build up excitement about the potential to communicate using satellites. It’s a huge feature that solves not being able to communicate in areas where there’s no signal. While this can be as simple as being in the mountains and having a light conversation with family or friends, it can also be a lifesaving tool in case you find yourself in a dangerous situation.
And while the service is live through a number of different providers, it’s only available on specific devices that are compatible. Google chose to introduce this feature with the Pixel 9, and has continued to support it with its premier models that have launched since. That’s why it might have been a shock for some Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 users to see Satellite SOS go live on their phones.
It’s there, but not really
The folks at 9to5Google report that users have been seeing this come up on their phones. The Satellite SOS screens can be found in the Safety & emergency section of the Settings menu. Now, this is where things get confusing, because if you’re not someone that’s really familiar with this setting, you can actually dive into the walkthrough that will explain how it works.
From here, users would be lost since there isn’t a way to actually try the feature like you would find on supported devices like the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10. And if you’re wondering, no, this feature won’t be coming to the Pixel 7 or Pixel 8. The hardware just isn’t there to make it happen, so this menu system is likely just a mistake on Google’s part.
Those that have a Pixel 7 or 8 can navigate to their settings to try this. It should be available in the menu system, if you’re catching it early. 9to5Google was able to speak with Google, which stated that this is something that should be fixed quickly, even by the end of the day. If you’re curious about satellite communication but don’t own a compatible Pixel, you can always try to see if your carrier supports the feature.
