After beta testing its satellite services for the better part of a month, T-Satellite is finally here. If you have T-Mobile, you have the option to send text messages even when there’s zero cellular coverage in sight, as your phone will automatically connect to the nearest of over 650 Starlink satellites in your area. The thing is, it’s no longer free, and unless you signed up for the beta, it’s restricted to T-Mobile customers.
T-Satellite has been months in the making
Here’s the scoop: Back in December, T-Mobile announced a partnership between itself and SpaceX to bring Starlink service to customers. Then, in January, the company started accepting users into the beta, but only those with specific, recent Samsung devices.
Things changed again when Apple released iOS 18.3. It seems Apple was working with SpaceX and T-Mobile to roll out Starlink support to iPhones as well—though none of this was announced from Apple as part of the update. In addition, T-Mobile appeared to be approving certain Pixel 9 users who signed up for the beta as well—expanding the program to Apple, Samsung, and Google devices.
Next, in a Super Bowl Sunday advertisement, T-Mobile announced it was opening its Starlink beta to the whole U.S.—including users on both Verizon and AT&T. While there were restrictions, if you were interested in trying out T-Mobile’s satellite service, you could throw your name in the ring.
Then, in June, that beta access opened to everyone, no matter who your carrier was. In addition, T-Mobile was offering some serious perks for free: You had access to T-Mobile’s 5G network, including 50GB of data and unlimited texts, as well as a series of benefits, like $5 movie tickets, 25% off concert tickets, travel discounts, and “T-Mobile Tuesdays” discounts.
Finally, on July 23, T-Mobile officially launched T-Satellite.
What’s the big deal with satellite connectivity?
Being able to connect your smartphone to satellites is, quite literally, a game changer. It means you no longer need to worry about losing cell service or being away from a wifi connection. As long as you have a somewhat clear view to the sky and you’re within the coverage map, you’re able to connect to the outside world.
To be clear, this feature only works when you do not have available cellular service. When this happens, your phone will then automatically connect to the nearest satellites. You will not have the option to manually connect to satellites when you have a network connection.
Right now, T-Satellite only works for texting and location sharing. T-Mobile says it’s working on bringing support for picture sharing and data coverage for optimized apps next. According to Elon Musk, the current Starlink technology should support medium resolution images, and music and podcast streaming. But even if T-Mobile only supports texting and location sharing at this time, you can imagine what a lifeline that is. If you have no cell service, and would otherwise not be able to reach out to emergency services or essential contacts, you can connect to a Starlink satellite and send text messages to either (or both).
That said, this is not the first time iPhones have been able to connect to satellites. Apple has offered satellite connectivity since 2022, when it debuted “Emergency SOS via satellite” with the iPhone 14. The company expanded upon the feature with iOS 18: Before, you could only contact emergency services or roadside assistance via satellite, but since last year’s big update, you’ve been able to send messages to anyone.
It seems that both options are quite good at what they do, at least according to the experiences of PCMag’s Michael Kan. Kan reports that with both services, messages can be sent instantly, or feature delays between 30 seconds to minutes at a time. He also had no issue connecting without needing to point his phone at the sky, or while something blocked the view of the sky overhead, like when inside a car. Kan found that T-Satellite held its connection longer than Apple’s services, which required him to reconnect every so often. However, T-Satellite failed to connect to satellites at times, potentially due to the proximity to cell networks.
What do you think so far?
How to join T-Satellite
That beta period is now, unfortunately, over. If you want to keep using T-Satellite, you need a T-Mobile plan that supports it—which means the “Experience Beyond” plan or the “Go5G Next” plan. If you were a part of the free beta, you can keep using the services whether or not you have T-Mobile, but you do need to start paying $10 per month. T-Mobile customers who were not on the beta can also add T-Satellite to their plans for the same monthly price. (T-Mobile says this is a “savings of $5 per month,” which implies the service will really cost $15.)
If you’re interested in try out T-Mobile’s satellite service, you first need a compatible unlocked device that uses eSIM. T-Mobile has a list of compatible devices on its official Starlink site, and includes the following:
Apple
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iPhone 13
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iPhone 13 mini
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iPhone 13 Pro
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iPhone 13 Pro Max
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iPhone 14
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iPhone 14 Plus
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iPhone 14 Pro
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iPhone 14 Pro Max
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iPhone 15
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iPhone 15 Plus
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iPhone 15 Pro
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iPhone 15 Pro Max
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iPhone 16e
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iPhone 16
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iPhone 16 Plus
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iPhone 16 Pro
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iPhone 16 Pro Max
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Google Pixel 9
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Google Pixel 9a
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Google Pixel 9 Pro
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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
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Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Motorola
Samsung
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Samsung Galaxy A14
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Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
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Samsung Galaxy A16 5G SE
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Samsung Galaxy A25 SE
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Samsung Galaxy A35
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Samsung Galaxy A36 SE
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Samsung Galaxy A53
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Samsung Galaxy A54
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Samsung Galaxy A56 5G SE
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Samsung Galaxy S21
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Samsung Galaxy S21+
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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
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Samsung Galaxy S22
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Samsung Galaxy S22+
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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
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Samsung Galaxy S22 FE
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Samsung Galaxy S23
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Samsung Galaxy S23+
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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
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Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
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Samsung Galaxy S24
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Samsung Galaxy S24+
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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
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Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
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Samsung Galaxy S25
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Samsung Galaxy S25+
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
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Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro
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Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 FE (coming soon)
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 (coming soon)
Note that some non-T-Mobile Galaxy devices cannot connect to satellite.
T-Mobile
If you’re new to the service, and don’t have a compatible plan, you’ll need to add it to your plan through T-Mobile. You can find this option through T-Mobile’s official T-Satellite page.
T-Mobile encourages you to download the T-Life app if you sign up, but be warned: The app records your screen by default when actively using T-Life. You need to manually disable that feature if you want to retain some privacy.
This article was updated on Wedenesday, July 23 to reflect T-Mobile’s official launch of T-Satellite.
