Send your location via satellite on your Apple Watch Ultra 3

With Apple Watch Ultra 3, you can send your location via satellite when you’re off the grid with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

How sending your location via satellite works

You can send your location from your Apple Watch Ultra 3 to your friends and family, even when you’re somewhere with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

To connect to a satellite, you need to be outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon. Your Apple Watch Ultra 3 also needs to be dry — if your watch is wet, its ability to connect to satellites might be impacted. When you use a satellite connection, the experience is different than sending your location via cellular. Learn more about connecting to a satellite with your Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Sending your location via satellite is free for two years after the activation of an Apple Watch Ultra 3. Learn more about the feature's requirements and availability.

Before you go off the grid

If you’re going somewhere with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, here are some ways to be prepared to send your location via satellite.

Try the demo

Try the Satellite Connection demo on your Apple Watch Ultra 3 to see how it works.

Add satellite controls to your watch face and Control Center

For quick access to satellite features, you can add the satellite control to Control Center and add the satellite complication to your watch face.

Set up location sharing with the people you want

  1. Open the Find People app on your Apple Watch Ultra 3.

  2. Scroll down, then tap Me.

  3. Make sure Share My Location is turned on.

  4. Below Send From, make sure your location is being shared from your paired iPhone and This Apple Watch.

  5. Tap the back button to return to the Find People list, then tap Share My Location to choose the people you want to share your location with. You can also set up your location-sharing friend list on your iPhone.

You can't share your location with new people after you're off the grid, so make sure you set up your location-sharing list before you leave.

Send your location via satellite

  1. Wear Apple Watch Ultra 3 naturally on your wrist, then ensure it has a clear line of sight to the sky. If you’re under heavy foliage or surrounded by other obstructions, you might not be able to connect to a satellite.

  2. On the watch face or in Control Center, tap the satellite icon, then tap Send Location. You can also go to the Find People app.

  3. Tap Update Location (available only when you’re outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage).

  4. Follow the instructions to connect to a satellite, while remaining aware of your surroundings. You may be instructed to adjust your position.

It might take a few minutes to send your location via satellite. Continue to follow the onscreen instructions until the location is sent. You can send your location once every 15 minutes. When you send your location via satellite, you don’t see your friend’s location in the Find People app.

See a friend’s location sent via satellite

When a contact sends you their location via satellite, the satellite icon appears next to their picture and location in the Find People app. You can view their most recent location for up to 7 days.

Access other satellite features

When you're somewhere with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, you can tap the satellite icon on your watch face or in Control Center to see all available satellite features. You can also open the Settings app on your Apple Watch Ultra 3 and tap Satellite.

Satellite doesn't appear in Settings unless you're off the grid.

Send Location via satellite requirements and availability

  • You need an Apple Watch Ultra 3.

  • You need to be in a place with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

  • You need to connect to a satellite with your Apple Watch Ultra 3.1

  • You need an active carrier plan associated with your Apple Watch Ultra 3. Check which carriers in your country or region offer cellular service for Apple Watch Ultra 3.

  • Remember that while off-grid, satellite features aren't available on Apple Watch Ultra 3 if your iPhone is nearby and in Airplane Mode.

  • Send Location via satellite is available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,2 Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S.3 Check with your carrier to make sure it supports location sharing via satellite.

  • If you're in Mexico, your Apple Watch Ultra 3 needs watchOS 26.0.1 or later.

  • Availability in other regions is subject to regulation by government agencies, necessary approvals, and other market specific requirements. Apple is working to bring these capabilities to more regions as soon as possible.

  • International travelers who visit a country or region where Send Location via satellite is available can use the feature while visiting, except if they bought their Apple Watch Ultra 3 in certain countries or regions.4

  1. Satellite network for Apple features provided by Globalstar, Inc. and its affiliates or third-party network providers.

  2. Available only for users who have activated a carrier plan in another country or region.

  3. Including the Archipelago of Madeira, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Azores, the Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca, and Menorca), the Canary Islands (El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma, Lanzarote, and Tenerife), the Collectivity of Saint Martin, Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Corsica, Coral Sea, Guadeloupe, Islands of Sicily and Sardinia, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Martinique, Orkney Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Scottish Hebrides, Shetland Islands, Sovereign states of San Marino and Vatican City, Torres Strait, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

  4. Satellite connectivity isn't offered on Apple Watch Ultra 3 purchased in Armenia, Belarus, China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Russia.

Published Date: