Starlink, the satellite constellation that delivers internet access to people in remote regions across the world, is now coming straight to your phone. This new satellite-to-cell service is a partnership between T-Mobile, SpaceX and Starlink, and with it you can send and receive text messages even when you don’t have service — as long as you have a clear view of the sky.
In December, T-Mobile opened up the Starlink satellite service beta program to its US customers, and it’s still open for anyone who wants to apply.
However, access is limited during the T-Mobile Starlink beta. For now, you must be a T-Mobile customer living in the US and own an “optimized” phone, which most likely means a newer phone. Initially, you had to have one of a handful of Samsung Galaxy devices, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra or the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but the program has since opened up to iPhone users running iOS 18.3 and even to the Google Pixel 9.
If you’re interested in trying out the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service for yourself and don’t know where to start, here’s everything you need to know.
What exactly is the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service and how does it work?
In August 2022, during a live event, T-Mobile and SpaceX announced Coverage Above and Beyond, a plan for bringing cellphone connectivity everywhere in the US, even in the most remote regions. T-Mobile’s wireless network would leverage Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellites — more than 300 of them — to provide “near complete coverage” to all 500,000 square miles in the US that are not covered by cell towers, essentially eliminating dead zones.
If you’re an area without cell service, like Yosemite National Park or the Grand Canyon, your T-Mobile phone can connect to the nearest Starlink satellite, acting like a floating cellphone tower, to give you service, as long as there’s nothing obstructing between your phone and the the sky.
This partnership has been years in the making.
What can you do with the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service?
You can use the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service to send and receive text messages on your supported phone — for free. There are plans to provide coverage for voice calls and data pretty soon, but that may come at a cost.
Eventually you’ll be able to surf the web with Starlink.
Who can use the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service?
Right now, you need to meet the following requirements if you want to use the Starlink satellite service on your phone:
- You must be a T-Mobile customer. That includes businesses and first responders. You must have a postpaid plan, so sorry to anyone who has a prepaid account.
- You must have an optimized phone. For now, only a handful of Samsung phones, like the Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 9, as well as iPhone models running iOS 18.3 work with the Starlink service. This is only for the beta launch, though; eventually more phones will support this feature.
Every Galaxy S24 model supports the Starlink service.
You must also obviously be accepted into the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service beta program. The next section will explain how to sign up.
How can I join the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service beta program?
As long as you meet the requirements listed in the previous section, go to T-Mobile’s satellite phone service website and register with your full name, email and T-Mobile phone number. Once you’ve been verified, you’ll receive confirmation that you’re on the wait list for the Starlink satellite service via email.
Note: If you’re a business, you must register here.
Capacity is limited, so not everyone will get to join during the beta launch, but if you have an “optimized” phone, meaning a newer phone, you have a better chance of getting accepted. You should receive a notification, via email or text, when you’re accepted into the program. As the program leaves the beta stage, more people will be able to join.
What we don’t know yet about the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service
Because the satellite-to-cell service is still in beta, and invitations are slowly being sent out, there’s still a lot we don’t know:
- What will the price of the T-Mobile Starlink service be after the beta is finished? That’s not clear yet, but on T-Mobile’s sign-up page, it says “T-Mobile Starlink is free during the beta test. We will provide more details about the commercial service at launch.”
- Is there a data cap? Unclear, but there may be paid tiers, including an unlimited data one.
- Is there a list of everyone phone that will work with the T-Mobile Starlink service? For now, it’s only a handful of Samsung, Google and iPhone models, but we don’t yet have a full list of every phone that will work with the service. Some people with older phones who signed up for the beta have received this message, “T-Mobile: Thanks for your interest in T-Mobile Starlink beta. To ensure the best possible experience and service reliability, we’re optimizing T-Mobile Starlink beta for newer smartphones (majority released in the last two years). More devices will be optimized over time so please stay tuned. Find out more: https://sms.t-mobile.com/z3iPTYsK”.
We’ll update this story as more information comes in.
