Android 15 could introduce an emergency satellite messaging system

Google could be finalising a beta version of its Google Messages satellite messaging app, in direct response to a feature that Apple has been offering for months.

Android 15 could introduce emergency satellite messaging
In this beta version of Google Messages, stamped 20240329_01_RC00, 9to5Google found several strings that hint at the imminent introduction of this emergency messaging feature:

“To send and receive, stay outside and watch the sky”.
“Satellite messages may take longer and are not compatible with photos and videos.
“You can contact anyone, including the emergency services”.
Cupertino’s version of satellite emergency messaging is called Satellite Emergency SOS and allows you to send a message to emergency services or roadside assistance if you don’t have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection or can’t get help. Google’s implementation appears to be the same as Apple’s.

String suggestions in Google Messages Beta
If the strings found in the code are true, one of the things that sets Google’s satellite messaging service apart is the ability to communicate with other contacts on the phone, not just the emergency services. In theory, in the event of an emergency, you can send a satellite message to the emergency services as well as your friends and family so they know what’s going on.

We should know more about this feature in the coming months, as Android 15 is due to be launched in the autumn, more or less at the same time as the much-anticipated Google Pixel 9.