iOS 18.3 Adds Starlink Support to T-Mobile iPhones

As of iOS 18.3, T-Mobile subscribers with a compatible iPhone and Starlink beta access are able to connect to Starlink satellites, reports Bloomberg ('https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-29/apple-and-spacex-link-up-to-support-starlink-satellite-network-on-iphones'). Apple quietly worked with SpaceX and T-Mobile to add support for Starlink to its iPhone lineup, and T-Mobile's website confirms the new integration ('https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/satellite-support').



T-Mobile announced a partnership ('https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/t-mobile-takes-coverage-above-and-beyond-with-spacex') with Starlink in 2022, and in December 2024, the carrier opened up a beta program ('https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobile-starlink-direct-to-cell-beta-registration') allowing subscribers to use Starlink satellites for texting in areas without cell towers. At the time, the T-Mobile Starlink beta program was limited to Samsung smartphones, and iPhones weren't supported.

Following the release of iOS 18.3, T-Mobile has invited a small number of iPhone users to take advantage of the Starlink beta, and those users have a new toggle to enable the satellite connectivity feature. T-Mobile customers who were selected received the following message:

With Starlink integration, a T-Mobile iPhone without T-Mobile cellular service available will be able to pair automatically with Starlink satellites for connectivity. Starlink is limited to texting at the current time, but T-Mobile and SpaceX plan to support data and voice in the future.

Apple did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment on the feature, but T-Mobile said that Starlink connectivity will eventually be available on the "vast majority of modern smartphones."

The iPhone 14 and later already support satellite connectivity for text messages through Apple's partnership with Globalstar, so iPhone users who are able to use Starlink can also opt to text with Apple's built-in satellite service. Both Apple's service and Starlink are only available when there is no nearby cellular network.

Starlink beta access is limited right now, but T-Mobile eventually plans to expand the beta test to additional subscribers. T-Mobile customers can sign up to join the beta ('https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/satellite-phone-service') on the T-Mobile website. Starlink is only available in the U.S., and it is free during T-Mobile's beta testing period.

Article Link: iOS 18.3 Adds Starlink Support to T-Mobile iPhones ('https://www.geekwebguides.com/2025/01/28/ios-18-3-starlink-t-mobile-support/')

It needs to be improved to allow downloading of a full iOS update via satellite. Hopefully also allow streaming of Netflix, but that may take longer.

Starlink on phones is beautiful. Once every phone on the planet supports Starlink, there will finally be a theoretically un-censorable, un-jammable, un-tappable, global communications network outside the jurisdiction of any country (except the U.S., likely). Totalitarian governments will have their work cut out for them.