Blocking Starlink access in iOS 18.3

Just stop. Every internet connection has a modem in between, a cable modem, a telephone modem, a cell modem. All of a sudden, you don’t think Elon is a brilliant guy, and now the fact that three years ago when you liked him, T-Mobile and him collaborated to set a certain hardware standard for cellular modems so they could pick up satellite signals, Which you are definitely Not paying the service for even if Apple iPhones support it, if you want it, you have to go to T-Mobile to pay for it, and since T-Mobile isn’t selling it to anyone but T-Mobile customers right now I really don’t think you have to worry about your day to day data switching to A paid service that currently only T-Mobile has and future companies may provide the service at an even higher price, and if your service provides it, then Apple will give you a way to turn it off, but there’s no activating it unless you have T-Mobile, stop freaking out about someone who decided to give Internet to the entire planet and a cell company that help them do it.

Starlink has a total bandwidth per cell of between 2 to 4 megabits down per second total. Divide that by a few dozen subscribers in remote rural areas and you will probably have a decent user experience. But divide it by 1000 urban users and it’s a no go. They’ll have a dialup equivalent experience or worse.

There’s no point to Verizon or AT&T joining the service. Both companies are moving forward with their own competing services. It doesn’t make sense for any of the companies involved.

Zachyy wrote:

KiltedTim wrote:

Okay but if you go read about any other news source you will read that there were 29 security vulnerabilities fixed in iOS 18.3.

I just went to the source: About the security content of iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 - Apple Support

and miscounted. From the point of view of the importance of updating, a distinction without a difference.

Lawrence Finch wrote:

Zachyy wrote:

KiltedTim wrote:

Okay but if you go read about any other news source you will read that there were 29 security vulnerabilities fixed in iOS 18.3.

I just went to the source: About the security content of iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 - Apple Support

and miscounted. From the point of view of the importance of updating, a distinction without a difference.

I didn’t realize Apple publicly disclosed that information, so thank you.

lobsterghost1 wrote:

Booboo1111 wrote:

I refuse to update and just ordered my first Chinese phone. I trust them with my data more than Elonia and Google, and other USA tech oligarchs.

OK. No one here really cares what you use as your cell phone. But you have most assuredly made a decision based on MISINFORMATION - MYTH and FEAR. Read this --> The Starlink Myth - Apple Community

Excellent job on that User Tip lobsterghost1!

Zachyy wrote:

lobsterghost1 wrote:

Booboo1111 wrote:

I refuse to update and just ordered my first Chinese phone. I trust them with my data more than Elonia and Google, and other USA tech oligarchs.

OK. No one here really cares what you use as your cell phone. But you have most assuredly made a decision based on MISINFORMATION - MYTH and FEAR. Read this --> The Starlink Myth - Apple Community

Excellent job on that User Tip lobsterghost1!

Thank you Zachyy! Not that it will change the minds of people who simply refuse to understand this, but it's easier to post as opposed to trying to reason with people who don't listen to reason.

crista70 wrote:

I wish I had.

Yes, if you had not updated your phone would not be protected from 30 security vulnerabilities, which would have been a much greater risk than not updating. Perhaps this might set your mind at rest: The Starlink Myth - Apple Community

Newmansmama wrote:

I refuse to update my new phone until they do not automatically add Starlink. I have always used Apple products, but now I’m going to have to take my business elsewhere. I will not stand for teaming up with criminals.

So you chimed in without reading past the first post. If this is an important issue to you, read the thread. You like so many have simply jumped to the WRONG conclusion. And we don't care who you take your business to. This is a user to user only forum. But just who might that be? Samsung? Google? NOPE: They've had access to Starlink through T-Mobile far longer than through T-Mobile on iPhone.

If you aren't willing to arm yourself with facts, do as you want. Maybe read this and you'll see that your idle threat was a waste of your time --> The Starlink Myth - Apple Community

On a final note, great idea not updating your phone. By not doing so, you have left yourself vulnerable to 30 threats the update removes. And you still WON'T have Starlink on your phone.

This is a complicated issue. While Apple is touting new satellite services, there are many other satellites besides Starlink. Apple has not announced any integrations with Starlink. But that doesn't mean that Apple devices won't work with Starlink now or in the future.

Apple's published documentation for Connecting to a satellite with your iPhone does not mention Starlink, but it does specifically say that Apple's satellite services are provided by "third-party network providers". So that could obviously include Starlink.

Furthermore, that same documentation specifically says that, "During certain disaster situations, your carrier may provide cellular connectivity to iPhone models using their satellite capability even if you have turned them off for everyday use and “SAT” doesn’t appear in the status bar." So you may be connected via Starlink and never know about it.

I understand that some people may not want to have any association with Starlink because of recent political events or because of Starlink's status as a military asset. If you have concerns, please send feedback to Apple. I also encourage you to send feedback to your cellular data provider as well. This kind of feedback could give Apple and other companies incentive to choose other providers for satellite services.

Smootz1824 wrote:

I too want to know if there’s a way to block access because I absolutely do not trust Starlink!

StarLink is not a feature of your phone. It is a feature offered for beta testing by T-Mobile in the US. 

• If you don’t have T-Mobile you don’t have it on your iPhone. 
• If you do have T-Mobile and you don’t sign up for the beta test you don’t have it on your phone. 
• And, if it ever goes live and you have T-Mobile, you STILL won’t have it on your phone unless you turn it on, as it is a feature of the carrier, not of the iPhone; sort of like switching between LTE and 5G, except there will be an option to chose StarLink, which uses the N51 cellular band, and you don’t have to choose it.
• The above information applies to Android phones, where T-Mobile is also beta testing StarLink.

The satellite emergency service on iPhone 14 and later does NOT use StarLink; it uses a different satellite service.

If you have T-Mobile AND decide to join the beta test there will be a switch in Settings/Cellular/T-Mobile/Satellite where you can turn it on or off.

StarLink is not a feature of your phone. It is a feature offered for beta testing by T-Mobile in the US. 

• If you don’t have T-Mobile you don’t have it on your iPhone. 
• If you do have T-Mobile and you don’t sign up for the beta test you don’t have it on your phone. 
• And, if it ever goes live and you have T-Mobile, you STILL won’t have it on your phone unless you turn it on, as it is a feature of the carrier, not of the iPhone; sort of like switching between LTE and 5G, except there will be an option to chose Satellite, which uses the N51 cellular band, and you don’t have to choose it.
• The above information applies to Android phones, where T-Mobile is also beta testing StarLink.

The satellite emergency service on iPhone 14 and later does NOT use StarLink; it uses a different satellite service.

If you have T-Mobile AND decide to join the beta test or if the StarLink ever goes live for T-Mobile there will be a switch in Settings/Cellular/T-Mobile/Satellite where you can turn it on or off.

It’s actually a hardware feature that is on androids as well. This update only adds the software support, and can be disabled. Not sure how you’re going to get rid of it without ripping out your cells modem. I suspect you actually like cell service, So you either live with it being in your pocket or you get rid of your iPhone or android. I would recommend you simply disable it.

How to disable Starlink satellite support on iPhone

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone after updating to iOS 18.3.
2. Visit Cellular > T-Mobile (or other carriers if added in the future)
3. Toggle off satellite support.

ca_sem wrote:

As an AT&T user I will not update my phone to 18.3 as long as it forces us to put anything related to Elon Musk. I’ll take my business elsewhere!

Where will you take your business? StarLink access is already on Android phones. iPhones are kind of late to the game.

Although, actually it is on neither. T-Mobile is offering StarLink as a beta, which has nothing to do with Apple, other than T-Mobile requiring iOS 13.3.

StarLink is not a feature of your phone. It is a feature offered for beta testing by T-Mobile in the US. 

• If you don’t have T-Mobile you don’t have it on your iPhone. 
• If you do have T-Mobile and you don’t sign up for the beta test you don’t have it on your phone. 
• And, if it ever goes live and you have T-Mobile, you STILL won’t have it on your phone unless you turn it on, as it is a feature of the carrier, not of the iPhone; sort of like switching between LTE and 5G, except there will be an option to turn on Satellite in addition to LTE and 5G, and you don’t have to turn it on.
• The above information applies to Android phones, where T-Mobile is also beta testing StarLink.

The satellite emergency service on iPhone 14 and later does NOT use StarLink; it uses a different satellite service.

If you have T-Mobile AND decide to join the beta test or if the StarLink ever goes live for T-Mobile there will be a switch in Settings/Cellular/T-Mobile/Satellite where you can turn it on or off.

M8lues wrote:

Well I guess it's time to buy a new phone and pc. I 'm done with apple.

What are you going to buy? Android had support for StarLink before iPhone did.

And if you read the thread that you posted to on page 15 you would learn that Apple does not support StarLink; only T-Mobile does.

StarLink is not a feature of your phone. It is a feature offered for beta testing by T-Mobile in the US. 

• If you don’t have T-Mobile you don’t have it on your iPhone. 
• If you do have T-Mobile and you don’t sign up for the beta test you don’t have it on your phone. 
• And, if it ever goes live and you have T-Mobile, you STILL won’t have it on your phone unless you turn it on, as it is a feature of the carrier, not of the iPhone; sort of like switching between LTE and 5G, except there will be an option to turn on Satellite in addition to LTE and 5G, and you don’t have to turn it on.
• The above information applies to Android phones, where T-Mobile is also beta testing StarLink.

The satellite emergency service on iPhone 14 and later does NOT use StarLink; it uses a different satellite service.

If you have T-Mobile AND decide to join the beta test or if the StarLink ever goes live for T-Mobile there will be a switch in Settings/Cellular/T-Mobile/Satellite where you can turn it on or off.

The world has only had Cell phones the last few years.

Motorola released their brick cell phone 42 years ago in 1983.