A bug on Pixel 6, 7, and 8 phones could cause user confusion.

Some Pixel owners with older models may believe they have the Satellite SOS feature due to an error. The introductory page for Pixel Satellite SOS mistakenly appeared on their phones, even though the feature is only available on newer models. This occurred when users of older Pixel 6, 7, and 8 phones navigated to Settings > Safety & emergency > Satellite SOS but could not test the feature.

The Satellite SOS introduction page appeared after the September 2025 Google Play system update. It details the feature's functionality and enables setting "Sharing preferences" with emergency contacts, noting "Satellite SOS is included at no charge for 2 years." However, the absence of a "Try a demo" button indicates the phone's incompatibility.

According to a Google representative, the listing appeared on older Pixel phones due to a bug. Google has no plans to bring Satellite SOS to models older than the Pixel 9, likely because of modem limitations. The Pixel 6 used the Samsung Exynos 5123 modem, succeeded by the Exynos 5300 in the Pixel 7 and 8. The Pixel 9 and 10 use the Exynos 5400 modem, enabling Satellite SOS.

Google will eliminate the bug, removing the Pixel Satellite introductory page from Pixel 8 and earlier models.

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