If you’re a Verizon customer, you can now send text messages via satellite to any device, regardless of carrier, when cell service is unavailable. The mobile carrier said Thursday that it’s expanding satellite texting at no cost to users with Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 smartphones.
The upgrade is being rolling out immediately and will continue over the next two weeks, Verizon said in a statement.
The previously announced move means you can send and receive texts on any network or device via satellite even when off the grid. This system differs from the satellite SOS tools used on iPhones and Pixel devices. Although these phones have been able to send emergency messages over satellites for a while now, Android phones have lagged behind.
The move follows Verizon’s efforts to test data services and video calling via satellite connectivity, similar to AT&T’s initiatives. The company already relies on satellite technology for emergency response. It also marks a broader trend among technology companies moving beyond emergency SOS. With Apple integrating T-Mobile’s Starlink service into iPhones, staying connected off the grid could be significantly easier by cutting down on chasing signal bars or angling your phone toward the sky in spotty coverage areas.
As Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper and others race to expand coverage — including T-Mobile testing Starlink access for AT&T and Verizon customers — it’s possible we’re inching closer to a world where your phone works anywhere. For a deeper dive on how Verizon’s new service works, check out our demo of Samsung’s Galaxy S25’s satellite texting for Verizon customers.
‘Just the beginning”
Josep Jornet, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University, said the next big tech race among companies is satellite-based mobile connectivity.
“It is a race, and this is just the beginning,” he said. “First SMS, then calls and ultimately high-speed data.”
Companies are expected to eventually push into higher-frequency bands such as millimeter waves and sub-THz, unlocking even faster and more reliable global connectivity, Jornet said.
