T-Mobile's Starlink Texting Launched—Check If Your Phone Gets It Free
Following several months of testing, T-Mobile has now made its satellite-based messaging service, T-Satellite, available to its customers and users of other networks in the U.S. A key advantage: it enables satellite service without requiring special hardware in your smartphone.
T-Mobile's direct-to-cell messaging service is powered by SpaceX's Starlink satellites. It leverages a dedicated portion of the over 7,900 low-Earth orbit (LEO) Starlink satellites to cover the entire U.S. This service aims to enable messaging in smartphones, such as texting to 911 and location sharing during emergencies and remote works, especially in areas with no signal from traditional cell towers.
At launch, Android devices get MMS support for images and voice messaging, while iPhone users are planned to be able to send rich media later. The carrier also says it will roll out satellite data for select apps in the future, including AccuWeather, WhatsApp, X, and AllTrails.
T-Satellite is here. Never miss a message. pic.twitter.com/NlOC5SD54A
— T-Mobile (@TMobile) July 23, 2025
T-Mobile said that T-Satellite has already been critical during months of testing, with more than 1.8 million users signing up for the program before the official release. For example, over 94,000 users utilized the text-based service during and in the aftermath of the Texas flood.
How T-Satellite Works and Which Devices Support It
While some phones already feature on-board satellite messaging, like the iPhone's Emergency SOS, T-Satellite offers the advantage of working on a wider range of phones. It doesn't require specialized hardware and works instantly without tweaking any settings. Your phone will automatically connect to the T-Mobile SAT network once no traditional cell tower or Wi-Fi coverage is detected.
The service currently supports over 60 phone models, including the iPhone 13 to iPhone 16 series, Pixel 9 series, select Motorola models, and most recent Samsung Galaxy A, Galaxy S, and Galaxy Z smartphones.
AT&T and Verizon Customers Can Also Use T-Satellite for $10 a Month
T-Satellite is free for T-Mobile Experience Beyond and Go5G Next subscribers. For T-Mobile customers on other plans the service costs $10 a month. Customers from AT&T and Verizon can also avail the service. They will need to set up their device's eSIM to use T-Satellite.
Later this year, T-Mobile said it plans to make emergency texting free to all, regardless of their plan or carrier.
Besides T-Mobile, Verizon has partnered with AST SpaceMobile and has started its satellite service rollout, which is available on the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25. Meanwhile, AT&T announced that it plans to release its own satellite-based network in the near future.
Do you think satellite messaging will become standard in all smartphones in the future? Would you consider subscribing to T-Satellite? We want to hear your thoughts.
Source: T-Mobile
