T-Mobile brings StarLink to your mobile phone. Check if it’s free to get it
Going off-grid may be a thing of the past as a partnership with T-Mobile’s SpaceX Starlink Satellite Internet Services It is ready for release on July 23rd. A direct cell telesking service called T-Satellite is also available to AT&T and Verizon mobile phone customers.
T-Mobile says The goal is to “permanently eliminate mobile dead zones” by utilizing the 657 Starlink satellite, which is used exclusively for mobile phone services. T-Satellite has been undergoing beta testing since December 2024, and has so far signed up with nearly 1.8 million users.
Direct-to-cell messaging services represent a major advance in mobile technology. According to T-Mobile, most mobile phones made over the past four years will function instead of requiring dedicated hardware. T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon customers are available for $10 a month. Or anyone who has surpassed T-Mobile experience is free.
“At the end of the day, I’m happy to be able to send selfies when I’m in a place where I don’t have coverage, but it’s important that I can lead to emergency services.” He told CNET’s Jeff Carlson. “With these technologies, we believe no customers are in an unconnected situation in an emergency.”
However, T-Mobile makes the service free for emergency use, so you can earn money even if you’re not signed up. The company said later this year, 911 text messages will be available to “mobile customers with compatible devices, regardless of carrier or whether they are subscribed to the service.”
What is T-Satellite?
T-Satellite is a partnership between T-Mobile and starlink This allows for direct responses to cells in areas where there is no cell coverage. There is Starlink Over 7,000 low-Earth orbital satellites In the sky, and now, those 657 are entirely dedicated to the T-satellite. The goal is to expand coverage to 500,000 square miles of countries where traditional cell towers are not reachable, says T-Mobile.
“When you leave the terrestrial network and go to a place where there is no network, your phone will automatically search for and connect to the satellite network, which is completely different from other satellite systems that force you to connect manually.
Satellite connectivity on mobile phones is nothing new – the iPhone had it Since 2022 – But usually SOS messaging is reserved for connecting to emergency dispatchers. On July 23rd, T-Satellite users can send SMS text on iOS and Android. Android users will also get MMS (Multimedia messaging service) quickly to support iOS “follow” support.
This means that users can send images and audio clips in addition to standard text messages. In October, it will be expanded to include data support for third-party apps such as Accuweather, Alltrails, WhatsApp, and X. Access utilizes hooks built into iOS and Android, allowing developers to send data over narrow bandwidth available through satellites.
This is far beyond what other mobile phones have previously started in the satellite domain. This is primarily due to a partnership between T-Mobile and Starlink. AT&T and Verizon are partnering with AST Spacemobile for satellite messaging. Verizon told CNET’s Eli Blumenthal Last year, it is still planning to collaborate with Amazon’s project Kuiper. The first 27 satellites have been launched April 28, 2025
“Despite what our competitors said, they are quite behind despite this technology.
How much does T-Satellite cost?
On July 23rd, T-Satellite will be available to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon customers for $10 per month. But there is one exception. Customers who go beyond the T-Mobile experience ($100 per month per row) get their services indefinitely for free.
Even if you don’t pay $10 a month, T-Mobile says 911 text messages will be available later this year “to mobile customers with compatible devices, regardless of carrier.”
If you are a Verizon or AT&T customer, you will need to activate T-Satellite as the second ESIM on your mobile phone to utilize the service. You can find Steps to configure ESIM here.
Which phones are supported?
Most phones released over the past few years work with T-Satellite. Currently, beta compatible devices are:
apple
- iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, or iPhone 16 (all models)
- Google Pixel 9
- Google Pixel 9a
- Google Pixel 9 Pro
- Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
- Google Pixel 9 Pro fold
Motorola
- Moto G Stylus 2025
- Moto Razr 2024
- Moto Razr+ 2024
- Moto Razr 2025
- Moto Razr+ 2025
- Moto Razr Ultra 2025
- Moto Razr Ultra+ 2025
Samsung
- Samsung Galaxy A25 5G Se*
- Samsung Galaxy A35 5g
- Samsung Galaxy A36
- Samsung Galaxy A36 SE
- Samsung Galaxy A53 5g
- Samsung Galaxy A54 5G*
- Samsung Galaxy S21
- Samsung Galaxy S21+
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S22
- Samsung Galaxy S22+
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S23
- Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S24
- Samsung Galaxy S24+
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S25
- Samsung Galaxy S25+
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
When the T-Satellite officially launches on July 23rd, the following devices will also be compatible:
Motorola
- Motorola Edge 2024
- Moto G 2024
- Moto G Stylus 2024
- Moto G 5G 2024
- Moto G Stylus 5G 2024
Samsung
- Samsung Galaxy A14
- Samsung Galaxy A15*
- Samsung Galaxy A16
- Samsung Galaxy A35
- Samsung Galaxy A53 (Some non-T mobile device variants do not have satellite capabilities)
- Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro
T-Mobile
- T-Mobile Revvl 7
- T-Mobile Revvl 7 Pro
How to try T-Mobile’s StarLink service today
If you’re looking to try T-Mobile’s StarLink Satellite messaging service and don’t wait until July 23rd, Sign up for the beta version. But I don’t have much hope. When I entered the information, I said, “We are accepting beta testers on a rolling basis due to high demand. Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks.”