Does the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra have satellite emergency SOS?

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The Galaxy S25 Ultra does have satellite emergency SOS built in, but here's the frustrating part: whether you can actually use it depends on your carrier.

Right now, this feature only works for Verizon customers in the US. Everyone else has a phone with satellite hardware that they can't use for this purpose yet.

Here's why: Samsung took a hands-off approach and let carriers figure out satellite deals on their own. Compare that to Apple, who partnered directly with Globalstar to offer satellite SOS for free on all newer iPhones regardless of carrier. Google did something similar with the Pixel 9 series through a deal with Skylo.

If you're on Verizon, here's what you can actually do. When you're somewhere without cell service, your phone can connect to satellites overhead to send emergency SOS messages, share your location with emergency responders, and even send basic text messages. You need a clear view of the sky, and the phone will guide you through pointing it in the right direction.

For everyone on AT&T, T-Mobile, or other carriers, you're out of luck for now. The good news is T-Mobile is working with SpaceX's Starlink on satellite connectivity, so there's hope this will expand eventually.

It's a bit of a bummer that Samsung didn't just handle this themselves like Apple did. The capability is literally sitting in your phone's processor, waiting to be unlocked. But that's the current situation.