Tampa, Florida (W.F.L.A.) — As Hurricane Milton races toward Florida's Gulf Coast, many Tampa Bay area residents are facing widespread concerns that could affect their cell phone service, as many experienced during Hurricane Helen. We are also concerned about power outages lasting several weeks.
But the latest iPhone update, iOS18, introduces new features that could potentially save lives and allow people stranded without service to contact family members or emergency responders.
Here's how it works
A new update allows users to connect their phones to satellites if they have an iPhone 14 or newer model running iOS 18.
From there, users can access features in two ways.
Control center: Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone to open Control Center, then tap the box with the Wi-Fi symbol. From there, the user should see a “Satellite” option. Tap on it and select “Try Demo”.
In this demo, users can choose whether to use satellites to send and receive text messages, update shared location information, get roadside assistance, and send emergency SOS.
The video player at the top of this story shows you step-by-step how to connect to a satellite on your iPhone using this method. You can follow the steps and try out the feature demo to see how it works.
setting: You can also connect to a satellite by opening your iPhone's Settings, tapping Satellite, and following the instructions there. Note that if you have Wi-Fi or cellular service, the option to connect to satellite will not appear in the Settings app.
Apple Support We added that this feature works best when you're outdoors with a good view of the night sky. Overhead trees or tall buildings can interfere with the connection.
No need to hold your phone up high. According to Apple, it's okay to hold it normally, but don't put it in your pocket or bag.
Once established, the satellite connection remains even when your phone is locked.
Hurricane Milton was speeding towards the Florida coastline Tuesday afternoon, re-intensifying into a Category 5 storm, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Milton had previously weakened to a Category 4 storm, but wind speeds have increased again, exceeding the Category 5 threshold. The storm had sustained wind speeds of 165 mph.
The Hurricane Center also extended storm surge and hurricane warnings to the east coasts of Florida and Georgia.
