Blocking Starlink access in iOS 18.3

KiltedTim wrote:

Forbes is completely worthless when it comes to any information regarding Apple. I don’t believe I’ve seen another outlet that exhibits more anti-apple bias.

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.

What part of AT&T is not partnered with Starlink, as has been said multiple times in this thread, isn't understandable? It's even been explained who AT&T uses for Satellite Service and it's NOT Starlink. Apple let T-Mobile who IS partnered with Starlink the ability to let T-Mobile customers and ONLY T-Mobile customers who want to OPT-IN to the beta test of Starlink. Apple isn't forcing Starlink on anyone. I honestly do not understand why this is so hard for anyone to understand?

Jeff Donald wrote:

Starlink has partnered with a small group of select cellular carriers worldwide. Here’s the list,

T-Mobile — USA

KDDI — Japan

OPTUS — Australia

One BZ — New Zealand

Salt — Switzerland

Entel — Chili and Peru

Rodgers — Canada

Now what country are you in and who’s your carrier? If it’s not one of the above then what is your point?

Nothing is affecting you or your iPhone. The vast majority of the major carriers have already partnered with other satellite services. Stop being so morally outraged over something that doesn’t affect you.

On the odd chance you are subscribing to one of the above, switch carriers and move on with your life.

Thanks for the list of carriers who have partnered with Starlink. Very helpful. Too bad people will still believe it is Apple who has partnered with them, no matter what is explained.

Spritzle wrote:

After a decade using only Apple phones, and owning Macs MacBook pros and Apple TVs, this could be the thing that ends my loyalty.

Absolutely, you should buy what you think best meets your needs. Are you a T-Mobile customer currently? If no, this isn't an issue you should be worried about in the US. And by shopping elsewhere, what do you think you may buy, which avoids any connection to Starlink? Samsung? Nope. Android users started the beta testing with Starlink through T-Mobile much earlier. Google? Nope. Google is Android.

I guess you can buy a cheap flip phone, to only make and receive phone calls on. If that would make you happy, go for it. Doesn't really make any difference to anyone on this user to user only forum what you buy.

theresafromedgewater — Starlink has partnered with a small group of select cellular carriers worldwide. Here’s the list,

T-Mobile — USA

KDDI — Japan

OPTUS — Australia

One BZ — New Zealand

Salt — Switzerland

Entel — Chili and Peru

Rodgers — Canada

Now what country are you in and who’s your carrier? If it’s not one of the above then what is your point?

Nothing is affecting you or your iPhone. The vast majority of the major carriers have already partnered with other satellite services.

I am an AT&T customer, too, with an iPhone 12, and just blessedly happened across a Facebook post that this update would be installed tonight, and IMMEDIATELY went into my Settings and turned off automatic updates to avoid this one. I 100% agree that this should be an optional install for those who want it, but also a separated one from an update that has the regular bug fixes and all the other stuff that keeps a phone running optimally and protected from viruses or what have you. Why should we be left to those chances just to avoid something invasive (well, more invasive than we are used to...and that makes my skin crawl) we don't want on our phones? I HATE how so much of our privacy is being taken away bit by bit so quickly now. It's scary and angers me. And I don't trust Elon Musk as far as I could punt him off a cliff...and I'm a small 5'3 female with a knee replacement so that should tell you how far he would go. This is just WRONG.

JoyMDors wrote:

They are no longer available I went to Best Buy and everyone I talked to said they disconnected it even the ones that have flip phones have data plans now.

Then I guess you’re just not going to have a phone at all.

Let us know how that works out for you.

Evidently not enough or you’d know AT&T owns part of AST SpaceMobile and they launched 5 satellites last fall. Verizon uses Inmarsat. They also don’t have the N51 band required for Starlink.

They have no reason to partner with Starlink when they already have strategic partnerships and have invested 100’s of millions and are part owners of other services.

JABLee2002 wrote:

So....today I did the software upgrade to Sequoia without having heard about the *possible/potential* connection to StarLink.

I write all this to say I'm really, really wanting to UNINSTALL Sequoia and go back to Sonoma. Is that possible without too much danger of losing stuff? I've searched online for advice but wld love to hear from folks here. Thx.

[Edited by Moderator]

This is a new level of ridiculous. Your Mac does not have a satellite radio in it.

Please stop with the conspiracy theories already.

Smh222 wrote:

I don’t want starlink on my phone so I blocked all updates until there’s an option to not have it.

Why? Starlink is not put on your phone. If you use T-Mobile (and only T-Mobile), and you opt in to the satellite beta test, then your device will be able to use the T-Mobile satellite partner. If you are not on T-Mobile, this does not affect you at all. If you are on T-Mobile and not part of the beta, this does not affect you at all.

Apple uses GlobalStar for SOS communication. Once a day it pings the service for general satellite positioning to enable you iPhone to effectively locate and track satellites on a day to day basis if you activate the SOS service.

Starlink is not using the Satellite connection you’re referring to. T-Mobile is using the N51 band for satellite service. it is a 5G band in the 1427–1432 MHz wavelength. Unless you have T-Mobile service your iPhone can’t connect at that wavelength.

Draxton1974 wrote:

I just updated to the latest iOS without knowing about the connection to Starlink. If this is true I’m smashing my iPhone and getting an Android instead for better privacy.

Great idea, from the frying pan into the fire. Android phones already have the StarLink option.

If you get rid of Apple......after all, you should always buy what you want......we don't care what it is......you can move over to Android.

OOOPS.....Android already has Starlink.

You can reach Apple here:

Feedback - iPhoneAppleApple › feedback › iphone

Lawrence Finch wrote:

• 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 phone.

• 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 band N51, which is what StarLink uses, 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.

Succinct and well written as usual!

Bluexeyes1025 wrote:

I find this to be very misleading. It’s T-Mobile and Apple, working together. Apple announced with the most recent iPhone that they would be bringing a satellite feature to their iPhones “in future updates”. T-Mobile has partnered with Apple to beta test the carrier provided option. Apple has already implemented sat access for iphone 14 and later phones. Currently Apple’s sat option is powered by Globalstar. But there is a whole section dedicated to “carrier provided satellite features” on apple support. It makes the most since that Verizon and T-Mobile would follow suit and offer the Sat option, and Starlink is a major powerhouse in that field. But, if Verizon and AT&T see that there’s a major pushback, there is a chance they may not partner with Starlink to avoid alienating customers. There is also a chance that T-Mobile may decide to roll back the feature if enough people refuse it. Based upon what I found in Apple Support though, its very likely Starlink will partner with carriers across the board. And Apple is responsible for allowing T-mobile to partner with Starlink, because they have allowed the software to be implemented on the phone. This isnt an app people download with permissions, although I wish it was. I don’t believe that we can say with any certainty that this isn’t going to happen with other carriers.

There really isn't anything misleading going on here. ALL Apple did was permit T-Mobile to use the N51 band for its customers, which is the ONLY band which communicates with Starlink. And while you may think it makes sense that Verizon and AT&T will follow suit, that is pure conjecture on your part. And why would they, when they have invested millions in other Satellite Services? Both AT&T and Verizon have partnered with AST SpaceMobile. Both carriers have invested $Millions of dollars in their services.

For all of these services they are opt-in services. T-Mobile has said the service will be free for 2 years, then there will be a fee to use them. Everyone will have the choice whether to use the Satellite service or not. No one is being to forced to use anything. While I'm not a T-Mobile customer and even though I am not a fan of Mr. Musk, I can assure you that if my life or the life of someone else depended on me being able to communicate through a satellite to be saved, I would without hesitation use it.