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Your Google Pixel phone may soon get a lifesaving feature

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A person holding the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Google Pixel 8 Pro Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you have a Google Pixel phone or plan on buying one in the future, you could be getting an important safety feature in the very near future. As spotted in an update for Google’s Adaptive Connectivity Services app, Google is planning on adding a “Satellite SOS” feature to its Pixel devices.

According to Google News on Telegram, you’ll be able to find the new feature by opening the Settings app and then navigating to the Safety & emergency page. Google is preparing to add a new Satellite SOS option.

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According to screenshots acquired by Google News, the Satellite SOS feature is described as follows: “With your Pixel, you can message with emergency services and share your location when you can’t connect to a mobile or Wi-Fi network.”

Google News

As for how Satellite SOS will work, it sounds very similar to the Emergency SOS via satellite capability on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. If you’re without cell service or Wi-Fi, you’ll see an SOS icon in your status bar. When you see this, you’ll be able to call or text emergency services using a satellite connection. You’ll then be asked to answer a few questions about your emergency, and from there, you’ll be put in contact with the proper emergency service personel — and you’ll even have the option to share your location via Google Maps.

Further down the page, Google recommends signing up for a Garmin Search and Rescue plan to “get reimbursed for qualified expenses.”

This is all great to see, though a few unknowns remain. For starters, it’s unclear which Pixel devices are getting Satellite SOS. Is it coming to existing phones like the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, or will we have to wait for the Google Pixel 9? It’s also unclear when Google plans on releasing Satellite SOS. Google I/O is happening in just a few short months, so we could very well learn more there.

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Joe Maring
Section Editor, Mobile
Joe Maring is the Section Editor for Digital Trends' Mobile team, leading the site's coverage for all things smartphones…
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