In addition to fixing a frustrating bug in the Calculator app and making changes to Apple Intelligence, iOS 18.3 introduces a highly anticipated feature—though it is only available in the United States. Specifically, this new version of the operating system makes iPhones compatible with Starlink.
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This update has been confirmed by the carrier T-Mobile in a blog post. With iOS 18.3, compatible iPhone models in the United States can now use the Starlink satellite connection, ensuring a stable connection even in remote areas.
Starlink on the iPhone arrives three years after SpaceX partnered with T-Mobile to bring the service to smartphones. Until now, only Samsung phones supported Starlink’s satellite connection, but Apple has also been eager to include this feature in its iPhones. In fact, as Bloomberg revealed, the Cupertino company has been secretly working with SpaceX and T-Mobile for months to integrate this capability into its devices.
Previously, users could only access a satellite connection through Globalstar, a telecommunications company that partnered with Apple to introduce the feature on the iPhone 14. Now, with Starlink, Apple not only provides an alternative but also adds extra functions that Globalstar does not offer.
How Starlink Works on the iPhone
The Starlink service works similarly to the satellite connection Apple introduced with the iPhone 14 and later models. This means the device will automatically connect to Starlink when it has no regular network coverage. However, at this stage, users can only send text messages and contact emergency services. T-Mobile and SpaceX have confirmed that in the future, they plan to enable data connections and voice calls—two features not currently available with the iPhone’s satellite connection.
According to reports, there is another key difference between the default iPhone satellite connection and Starlink. With SpaceX’s service, users do not need to point their iPhone at the sky to establish a satellite connection. Instead, the device will automatically connect, even if it is in the user’s pocket.
The ability to use Starlink on the iPhone is currently being rolled out in beta to a small group of T-Mobile users through iOS 18.3. However, the company has stated that the feature will be available to everyone “sometime in 2025.”
