S.O.S. with cell phone when no cell coverage (1 Viewer)

Joined
Jan 29, 2019
Messages
3,178
Reaction score
2,869
Location
Florida
Offline
I just learned that many cell phones have emergency 911 satellite service, when you have no cell coverage. This could save someone's life....





If you have an iPhone 7 or earlier...
Follow these steps to activate the emergency calling feature:

  1. Rapidly press the side (or top) button five times in a row.
  2. Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call 911.
If you have an iPhone 8 or later...
Follow these steps:

  1. Press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears.
  2. Drag the Emergency SOS slider to call 911.
  3. If you continue to hold down the side button and volume button, instead of dragging the slider, a countdown begins and an alert will sound. If you hold down the buttons until the countdown ends, your iPhone automatically calls emergency services.
Additionally, if you set up your Emergency Contacts in Settings, your iPhone will send a text to those people after calling 911 for you.

If you have an Android...
For Android devices, the service is different. The Android SOS functionality will not call 911 for you, but the phone will capture photos and audio and send a text messages to up to four people whom you designate. But, you have to set all of this up before the emergency happens.

  1. Turn it on: Go to your settings menu and click on the “Privacy and safety” submenu. From there, select the “Send SOS messages” choice. Finally, move the toggle switch on the top of the screen to “On” and agree to the terms and conditions.
  2. Add emergency contacts: You will be prompted to add anywhere from one to four contacts. When finished, tap “Done” and press the back button on the top of the screen. Next, you can choose whether you want to include photos from the front and rear cameras of your phone and audio when the SOS is activated.
  3. Activate the feature: Now that SOS is setup, you are ready to activate it. To do so, quickly press your power button three times. If you elected to send photos and audio, the phone will now take pictures with your front and rear cameras and record an ambient audio clip. These will be sent with a map of your location and the words “I need help” to the contacts that you selected.



 
This is very helpful info...

I frequent areas that are remote and have very little/no cell service, I'll somehow make this info available in case it's needed.
 
This is very helpful info...

I frequent areas that are remote and have very little/no cell service, I'll somehow make this info available in case it's needed.

Glad it helps. I just took a First Aid/CPR class and found out about the service. I really believe First Aid and CPR should be taught in High School as a mandatory class, but school administrators believe there are other classes that are more important.

I would recommend everyone taking a First Aid/CPR class as well, don't really like the idea of having the pressure of saving someone's life, but it's good to know the basics in an emergency. Someone might be really thankful you did!
 
If you are out of range of any cell tower at all, your phone will not be able to call any number. If you use AT&T and have no service, but are in range of a Verizon tower, you can dial 911 through Verizon. This works with any cell phone and all you have to do is dial 911. You don’t have to remember any of that other stuff.
If there is no cell towers at all nearby, you cannot make the call. If your cell phone can make satellite calls, you already know that and are paying dearly for that capability. A regular cell phone can’t make satellite calls.
 
If you are out of range of any cell tower at all, your phone will not be able to call any number. If you use AT&T and have no service, but are in range of a Verizon tower, you can dial 911 through Verizon. This works with any cell phone and all you have to do is dial 911. You don’t have to remember any of that other stuff.
If there is no cell towers at all nearby, you cannot make the call. If your cell phone can make satellite calls, you already know that and are paying dearly for that capability. A regular cell phone can’t make satellite calls.


Thanks for clarifying.

This might be a work around.

SPOT
SPOT Connect

The SPOT Connect turns your smartphone into a satellite messenger.

The bright orange SPOT was one of the very first satellite communicators available for less than $500, and it did much to popularize the concept of an “I’m OK” message. SPOT uses the Globalstar satellite network, which covers most of the world’s land masses, but not everywhere. When you press the “I’m OK” button, your brief message and your GPS coordinates are automatically sent (via the satellites) to any contacts that you choose. This is great for letting friends or family know you’ve made it to a remote destination. There’s also a Track option that allows others to watch your flight in near real-time, whether you’re on a flight plan or not. Finally, SPOT offers an SOS or 911 option to alert emergency services that you need help. This isn’t a guaranteed thing (see PLBs below), but in a pinch we would take any help we can get.



 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account on our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Users who are viewing this thread

    Back
    Top Bottom