Apple Watch 11 just gained a powerful trick: satellite messaging via Starlink. The 2025 models can now send texts, share locations, and receive alerts even without cell service thanks to direct connections with Elon Musk’s ever-growing satellite network.
Apple Watch 11 satellite support expands with Starlink
While Apple still partners with Globalstar for iPhone’s SOS and satellite features, its new wearables are turning to a different sky. The Apple Watch 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3 models now support Starlink-powered messaging through select carriers.
Rogers in Canada and KDDI in Japan have confirmed support, allowing Apple Watch users to send messages from remote areas without a cellular signal. Rogers is testing it for free, while KDDI offers it as a paid option similar to T-Mobile’s satellite texting in the U.S.
Garmin confirms new Connect+ subscriber-only features are on the way, while reassuring users that the free Connect app will still evolve.
What Starlink brings to the Apple Watch
Starlink’s satellite messaging unlocks a key set of features for the Apple Watch 11:
- Send and receive texts off-grid
- Share your exact location
- Receive emergency alert emails
- Works without a phone nearby (cellular Watch models only)
KDDI’s version even supports location-sharing via satellite, which could prove vital in emergencies or backcountry hikes.
iPhone and Apple Maps are next in line
Apple isn’t stopping at the Watch. Reports suggest that richer media messaging and satellite access for third-party apps are already in development. Apple Maps is set to follow, gaining satellite-based navigation in dead zones mirroring Google Maps on Android phones using Starlink’s T-Satellite services.
Meanwhile, the upcoming iPhone 18 is expected to support 5G NTN (non-terrestrial networks), bridging gaps with direct-to-satellite connections using built-in modems. No extra hardware, no Starlink dish just seamless fallback when coverage fails.
Starlink’s bigger play is just beginning
SpaceX’s ambitions for Starlink go far beyond wearables. After snapping up Dish’s spectrum, Musk plans to launch thousands of direct-to-cell V3 satellites. These would offer basic 5G coverage worldwide capped at around 100 Mbps, but enough for messaging, browsing, and basic apps.
It’s a slow rollout, with those satellites launching in 2026. But for now, Starlink already gives the Apple Watch 11 a quiet superpower: it stays connected where networks vanish. Not bad for something strapped to your wrist.
