T-Mobile + Starlink satellite messaging not working is frustrating users

The post T-Mobile + Starlink satellite messaging not working is frustrating users appeared first on Android Headlines.

Apr 4, 2025 - 15:19

T Mobile Starlink satellite texting beta

Summary: T-Mobile customers are frustrated by the current performance of Starlink’s satellite messaging service. Many users are sharing experiences where they try to connect but are unable to do so. That being said, the service is still officially in beta.

Earlier this year, T-Mobile and Starlink teamed up to launch a satellite messaging service for US mobile phone users. The goal of satellite messaging is to provide users with an alternative means of communication if they find themselves without cellular coverage. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.

Frustrating experience

According to posts on Reddit, T-Mobile customers are frustrated with how the Starlink messaging system is turning out. Redditor lordhamster1997 said they went on a spring break trip with their family. They went to places like Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon, and Valley of Fire, places that would be an ideal way to test Starlink’s messaging capabilities.

“Death Valley seemed like the ideal testing ground—wide open skies, no interference. On the valley floor and up at Dante’s View on a mountain peak, I’d get 1-2 bars of ‘T-Mobile Starlink’ signal. Promising, right? Nope. Not a single SMS or iMessage would send. Four days of trying, and nothing. Zilch. I did keep getting T-Mobile’s ‘Welcome to Starlink Beta’ message over and over, though—like, thanks for the tease, I guess?”

They weren’t alone in their frustrations. Another Redditor, SonicfanHD says, “Yea I tried it at Red Rock near Vegas on Saturday and messages wouldn’t send.” Another user called Goldglove528 had a similar experience. “Yeah I randomly hit a dead zone for a few hours not far from home in Pennsylvania. Wide open skies. Clear day. Would keep connecting and disconnecting from starlink every few minutes, and even when it was connected for longer periods it never sent one single message the entire time. Big letdown so far.”

Service still in beta

However, it’s worth noting that the T-Mobile Starlink messaging system is still in beta. This guarantees that some issues will pop up along the way. And to be clear, these issues aren’t minor. The whole point of satellite communication is for emergency purposes. If you can’t even use it for that, what’s the point?

Let’s not forget that T-Mobile wants to charge customers for access to the service. Right now, customers enrolled in the beta pay $10 a month. T-Mobile plans to eventually charge $15 a month for it. However, given how frustrated T-Mobile customers are with the Starlink service, even if it was free, it’d be useless.

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