Credit: VDB Photos / Shutterstock.com If you have T-Mobile, and either an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel device, you now have access to Starlink—potentially. Here's the scoop: Back in December, T-Mobile announced a partnership between itself and SpaceX to bring Starlink service to customers. Then, earlier this month, the company started accepting users into the beta, but only those with specific, recent Samsung devices. In addition, T-Mobile appears to be approving certain Pixel 9 users who signed up for the beta as well—expanding the program to Apple, Samsung, and Google devices. 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. On the Samsung front, that includes the Galaxy S24 5G, Galaxy S24 Plus 5G, Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G, Galaxy Z Fold 6 5G, and Galaxy Z Flip 6 5G. Any iPhone that can run iOS 18.3 is compatible. If you have a Pixel 9 series device, you should also be eligible, though it's not clear which version of Android is necessary—if any, in particular. 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. Don't worry if you can't get in yet: T-Mobile says it is expanding the plan soon, so expect more spots to open up imminently. 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 able from a wifi connection. As long as you have a somewhat clear view to the sky, you're able to connect to the outside world. To be clear, this feature only works when you do not have available cellular service. At this point, your phone can then connect to the nearest satellites. You will not have the option to manually connect to satellites when you have a network connection. At this point in time, T-Mobile's Starlink beta only works for texting. But, 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 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. Jake Peterson