Good news for Android smartphone users, Google Messages will soon be updated to allow you to send messages via satellite, and not just to emergency services.
As Google continues to expand satellite connectivity support for the Android operating system, new clues appearing in the latest Google Messages beta app hint ambitious plans for the next emergency communications function.
Code strings discovered by the APK Insight team reveal some key details about how Satellite Messaging will work when it arrives in an upcoming version of Android, likely Android 15 if recent leaks are to be believed.
Satellite messages will not be reserved for emergency services
One of the character strings indicates in particular that Google Messages’ satellite features won’t be limited to connecting with emergency services. The sentence is clear: “ You can send messages to anyone, including emergency services “.
This suggests that in addition to contacting crisis responders via satellite uplink, users might also have the ability tosend messages to contacts in their regular phone’s address book when cellular coverage is not available.
Such capability would go beyond the more limited Satellite SOS functionality offered on current iPhone models, which only connects to emergency services, roadside assistance and location sharing, and not to send messages to their entire contact list.
However, the code confirms some expected limitations of satellite messaging, regardless of the recipient. Users must in particular “ stay outside with a clear view of the sky » to send and receive messages. Android’s notification system will likely indicate when a device is successfully linked to satellites.
There are also signs that multimedia attachments will not be supportedas indicated by a string: “ Satellite messaging may take longer and cannot include photos and videos “. Finally, references in the code likely relate to rumors of satellite messaging plans for Android involving Garmin, which offers ” two-way messaging » in its own satellite communications services for text chats.