Picture this: You’re off the grid, miles from the nearest cell tower, but your phone still rings. That dream of constant connection just got a lot closer to reality. Google’s Pixel 10 phones are making waves, and their newest trick promises to keep you linked up, no matter where you roam.
Google recently announced something big on Twitter. Its new Pixel 10 phones will be the first to handle both audio and video calls on WhatsApp using a satellite network. This is a huge step for everyday communication.
This new feature will arrive next week. Specifically, it starts Thursday, August 28, 2025. That’s when the Pixel 10 phones officially go on sale. We don’t know yet if only these new devices will get this special feature. It’s unclear if older Pixel phones will be able to use it too.
What We Know (And Don’t Know)
Details about WhatsApp satellite calls on the Pixel 10 are very few, almost none. Google’s announcement video shows a Pixel phone making an audio call through the messaging app. That’s all it shows. A small clarification can be seen in fine print at the bottom of the screen. This new technology is still quite mysterious.
Right now, we also don’t know which phone companies will support WhatsApp satellite calls on the Pixel 10. It’s also unclear if the service will only be in the United States. We don’t know if other countries where Google sells phones will get it too.
A Growing Club of Satellite Connectors
The Pixel 10 aims to join the still new area of satellite connectivity through WhatsApp. Remember, Apple’s Emergency SOS on the iPhone is the main example of these kinds of solutions right now. It lets users send emergency messages when they have no cell signal.
Elon Musk also offers Starlink’s Direct to Cell technology with some phone companies. This means any regular phone could use the service. No special hardware or software changes would be needed. It just had to use a partner carrier’s network.
#Pixel10 has you covered on and off the grid 📍 Pixel devices will be the first to offer voice and video calls on @WhatsApp over a satellite network starting 8/28¹ 🌍 pic.twitter.com/6yDSDMskkK
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) August 22, 2025
When Apple launched Emergency SOS, many companies rushed to offer something similar on Android. Qualcomm, for instance, launched Snapdragon Satellite. This was their own similar plan. It would let phone makers give satellite connections to phones using their chips and modems. But the company stopped the project before it could go public. Phone makers just weren’t interested.
Starlink’s Direct to Cell idea got the most attention from the industry. For now, we don’t know if Google and Meta will use this platform for WhatsApp satellite calls on the Pixel 10. The future of talking from anywhere just got a lot more interesting, but many questions still hang in the air.