T-Mobile is offering beta access to Starlink for anyone in the United States—potentially.

Here's the scoop: Back in December, T-Mobile announced a partnership between itself and SpaceX to bring Starlink service to customers. Then, last month, the company started accepting users into the beta, but only those with specific, recent Samsung devices.

Things changed again when Apple released iOS 18.3. It seems Apple was working with SpaceX and T-Mobile to roll out Starlink support to iPhones as well—though none of this was announced from Apple as part of the update. In addition, T-Mobile appeared to be approving certain Pixel 9 users who signed up for the beta as well—expanding the program to Apple, Samsung, and Google devices.

Finally, in a Super Bowl Sunday advertisement, T-Mobile announced it was opening its Starlink beta to the whole U.S.—including users on both Verizon and AT&T. There are still restrictions, but if you are interested in trying out T-Mobile's satellite service, whether you have T-Mobile or not, you can throw your name in the ring.

How to join the T-Mobile Starlink beta

If you're interested in getting into T-Mobile's Starlink beta, you first need a compatible device. T-Mobile has a list of compatible devices on its official Starlink site, and includes the following:

Apple

• Apple iPhone 14

• Apple iPhone 14 Plus

• Apple iPhone 14 Pro

• Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

• Apple iPhone 15

• Apple iPhone 15 Plus

• Apple iPhone 15 Pro

• Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

• Apple iPhone 16

• Apple iPhone 16 Plus

• Apple iPhone 16 Pro

• Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Google

• Google Pixel 9

• Google Pixel 9 Pro

• Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Motorola

• motorola razr – 2024

• motorola edge – 2024

• moto g stylus 5G – 2024

• moto g power 5G – 2024

• moto g 5G – 2024 

Samsung

• Samsung Galaxy A14

• Samsung Galaxy A15

• Samsung Galaxy A16

• Samsung Galaxy A35

• Samsung Galaxy A53

• Samsung Galaxy A54

• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

• Samsung Galaxy S21, Plus & Ultra

• Samsung Galaxy S22, Plus & Ultra

• Samsung Galaxy S23, Plus & Ultra

• Samsung Galaxy S23 Fan Edition

• Samsung Galaxy S24

• Samsung Galaxy S24+

• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

• Samsung Galaxy S24 Fan Edition

• Samsung Galaxy S25

• Samsung Galaxy S25+

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

• Samsung Galaxy S25+ SE

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5

• Samsung Galaxy X Cover6 Pro

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

T-Mobile

• T-Mobile REVL 7 5G

• T-Mobile REVL 7 Pro 5G

From here, you'll need to head to T-Mobile's official Starlink page, and choose "Register now" or scroll down to the registration section. You'll need to enter your first and last name, email address, and phone number. Again, anyone on any carrier can request to join the beta, so don't be discouraged if you don't have T-Mobile. Just know that T-Mobile says spots are limited, so you aren't guaranteed entry.

The company also has plans to start charging for the service in July. If you get into the beta before then, however, you can try it out for free.

What's the big deal with satellite connectivity?

Being able to connect your smartphone to satellites is, quite literally, a game changer. It means you no longer need to worry about losing cell service or being away from a wifi connection. As long as you have a somewhat clear view to the sky and you're within the coverage map, you're able to connect to the outside world.

To be clear, this feature only works when you do not have available cellular service. When this happens, your phone will then automatically connect to the nearest satellites. You will not have the option to manually connect to satellites when you have a network connection.

Right now, T-Mobile's Starlink beta only works for texting and location sharing. T-Mobile says it's working on bringing support for voice and data coverage next, and, according to Elon Musk, the current Starlink technology should support medium resolution images, and music and podcast streaming. But even if T-Mobile only supports texting and location sharing at this time, you can imagine what a lifeline that is. If you have no cell service, and would otherwise not be able to reach out to emergency services or essential contacts, you can connect to a Starlink satellite and send text messages to either (or both).

That said, this is not the first time iPhones have been able to connect to satellites. Apple has offered satellite connectivity since 2022, when it debuted "Emergency SOS via satellite" with the iPhone 14. The company expanded upon the feature with iOS 18: Before, you could only contact emergency services or roadside assistance via satellite, but since last year's big update, you've been able to send messages to anyone.

For the past two and a half years, Apple has worked exclusively with Globalstar Inc. for satellite connectivity. Going forward, however, if you have an iPhone, and are enrolled in this T-Mobile beta, your phone will default to connecting to SpaceX's satellites. From here, you'll be able to manually connect to Apple's exclusive satellite services if you wish. Interestingly, while Apple's satellite feature makes you point your phone towards the sky to search for the closest satellite, Starlink's service should connect automatically.

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