Google quietly added a year to the free period for Satellite SOS on the Pixel 9, so owners keep an emergency backup with no bill yet.
Google has given Pixel 9 owners one more free year of Satellite SOS. The feature was supposed to be free for two years. Now it will be free for three. Google confirmed the change in a statement to PCMag, as reported by Android Police.
Satellite SOS connects a Pixel 9 to emergency services through satellites, even where there is no phone signal. It launched with the Pixel 9 line in 2024. Most owners will never need it, but it matters on a remote hike or a long road trip, when nothing else will work.
A Google spokesperson said the company is "confirming that we've extended this offering, at no additional cost, for one additional year." The statement added: "We have no details to share beyond that at this time."
For now, Pixel 9 owners have nothing to pay and nothing to do. Google has said only that the free period is longer. Android Police's writer argues that a safety feature should stay free, but that is an opinion, not a Google plan.
Pixel 9 owners get a third free year of Satellite SOS, but Google has not said what any paid plan will look like.
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