Image: T-Mobile
T-Mobile on Wednesday announced a major expansion of its Starlink-powered T-Satellite service, bringing app-based satellite data connectivity to smartphones across the U.S. The rollout comes just over two months after the carrier first launched T-Satellite commercially with support limited to SMS, MMS, and location sharing.
Now, thanks to more than 650 Starlink Direct to Cell satellites in orbit, T-Satellite customers can access popular apps in places no traditional cell signal reaches. That includes real-time mapping with Google Maps and AllTrails, weather updates from AccuWeather, outdoor safety tools like CalTopo and onX, as well as social media and messaging apps such as WhatsApp and X.
For the first time, T-Satellite also enables app-based voice and video calling, with WhatsApp users able to make live calls and even participate in group chats over satellite.
“The response from the first two months of T-Satellite commercial service has blown us away. We started with just text messaging and text-to-911, and those capabilities alone have proven to be invaluable for wireless users. We’ve heard story after story how T-Satellite is helping people in life-saving situations including a Girl Scout who fell into a canyon deep in the California wilderness and was rescued just hours later,” said Mike Katz, President of Marketing, Innovation, and Experience at T-Mobile.
“Now we’re taking it up a notch and bringing essential phone apps and services into the mix — giving people access to the apps they need most, in places they’ve never had a signal before. It’s a game-changer for safety, peace of mind, and the freedom to stay connected virtually anywhere.”
Using T-Satellite is seamless. Customers don’t need to change any settings or point their phones skyward — devices automatically connect to a satellite when terrestrial coverage drops. The service is included at no extra charge with T-Mobile’s top Experience Beyond plans. Users on other plans and carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, can add it for $10 per month.
The move comes after Starlink Direct to Cell added data support for apps last month, having completed the deployment of its first-generation cellular satellite constellation. SpaceX has even bigger ambitions, planning next-generation Direct to Cell satellites and recently seeking FCC approval to launch up to 15,000 of them. The company also plans to begin testing cellular service on its own wireless spectrum, which it recently purchased for $17 billion, in 2026.
Canadian telecom giant Rogers is also trialing Starlink-powered satellite texting across its network north of the border, underscoring how the technology is expanding globally.
For now, U.S. T-Mobile customers can look forward to using apps like WhatsApp, AllTrails, AccuWeather, CalTopo, onX, and more in the most remote corners of the country — no cell towers required.
