What you need to know
- Users have taken to Reddit to discuss receiving a text message from T-Mobile about receiving access to its Starlink satellite messaging beta.
- Users with a Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL have since received messages about the beta.
- Recently, it was reported that T-Mobile customers have been slowly entering the Starlink beta since its start on January 27, per SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Users have started reporting an interesting development for Google’s recent Pixel series and satellite messaging.
Reports have appeared in a thread on Reddit, stating a few Pixel 9 devices have been granted entry to T-Mobile’s Starlink satellite messaging beta (via Android Authority). The original poster (OP) posted a screenshot of a text received on their Pixel 9 Pro that says they’ve entered the beta. Messages have been going out over the past week or so, per user comments.
Some users (like the OP) have received access on a Pixel 9 Pro, another user reported access on their Pixel 9 Pro XL; however, the experience isn’t all the same.
Ensuring your device is up-to-date is recommended as the user states they are running Android 15 with the latest Google Play Systems patch. Strangely, one user claims that they are completely updated, yet their satellite connectivity via Starlink’s beta never flipped over. These users are simply seeing their Pixel 9 swap to Google’s Satellite SOS services, not Starlink’s.
Just got the Starlink Beta text on a Pixel 9 Pro from r/tmobile
Of course, your cellular network provider must be T-Mobile to receive a message about your beta eligibility.
The timing of this lines up with a recent slew of reports from T-Mobile customers stating access to the beta has been slowly arriving. It seems Android and iOS customers have been seeing messages about access to the Starlink satellite messaging beta through T-Mobile. SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk announced that the beta officially began on January 27.
Satellite messaging through Starlink supports “medium resolution images, music & audio podcasts,” in a comment by Musk. With its arrival, T-Mobile states that all of its “postpaid customers” will receive access to this service for free. This will last throughout the testing period, but it may become more “limited” once it’s out and into the public.
Speaking of limited, if you’re on a T-Mobile cell plan and would like to test this service, you can register now. Keep in mind that, just as when the registration period opened in December, spaces are limited, so act quickly. Once in, your device will automatically connect to Starlink’s satellites to keep you in contact with your loved ones if you’re too far from T-Mobile’s cell towers.