Apple has been “secretly working” with SpaceX and the result is that the latest iOS software update means iPhones can access Starlink.

Apple first introduced satellite connectivity features to the iPhone with the release of the iPhone 14 in 2022. The

The latest iOS 18.3 update enables the satellite texting feature offered by T-Mobile through Starlink for select iPhone users.

Bloomberg News first reported on Tuesday that Apple, SpaceX and T-Mobile had been secretively working to add support for the network.

Starlink support appears to be a secret iOS 18.3 feature for iPhones, some of which now support satellite communication services from SpaceX — but only for users invited to join public beta testing of the service on US carrier T-Mobile. This supplements Apple’s existing satellite services supplier, Globalstar.

Apple has been working with Starlink and T-Mobile in secret to get iPhones ready for expanded satellite connectivity, and the feature is now enabled with iOS 18.3 ahead of the full service launch.

T-Mobile opened beta registration for Starlink in December but it was limited to Samsung phones, including the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and S24 phones with no mention of the iPhone. However, it did promise that Starlink would “support the vast majority of modern smartphones.”

Apple was secretly working with Starlink and T-Mobile to prepare the iPhone for satellite connectivity. Now this feature is available to those iPhone users who have received the iOS 18.3 update. However, this service is still in beta level, so it has been ...

T-Mobile iPhone users with access to the Starlink beta can now connect to Starlink satellites, thanks to iOS 18.3. Bloomberg reports that Apple worked quietly with SpaceX and T-Mobile to make this feature possible, and T-Mobile’s website confirms the new integration.

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Starlink will only support texting for now, but T-Mobile has said that the service will eventually expand to browsing and voice. The free beta provides users with high-speed internet connectivity in challenging-to-access areas such as rural locations, concerts, and even airplanes.