Did You Know You Can Call 911 in Maine if You Don’t Have Cell Phone Service?

If you’re planning a hike in the beautiful terrains of Maine, or broken down on the side of the road in Maine's deep rural areas can leave you feeling a bit isolated—especially when it comes to cell phone service.

However, I received a little unexpected peace of mind recently. According to Make Use Of, you can still call 911, even if your phone isn’t showing those familiar signal bars.

How does this work? Great question, I wondered the same thing. Apparently, when you dial emergency services, your phone doesn't need to connect to a specific cell network owned by your provider. Instead, it sends out a distress signal looking for any available tower nearby, no matter who operates it. This means that if you find yourself in a spot with no service from your usual carrier, your device can still reach out for help through a different network’s tower. Brilliant, right? 

Make Use Of also states that when you add a SIM card to your phone, it typically connects to your provider’s network, sending signals to the nearest tower. But when it comes to emergencies, your phone is equipped with technology that prioritizes safety, enabling it to send your call out through any accessible network tower.

One thing to keep in mind, though: for your call to go through, your phone needs to communicate with the network. So, if you’re trying to make an emergency call in a different country with your Maine-based SIM, it might not connect unless your carrier has an agreement there.

Another important thing to remember is this safety hack is not 100% guaranteed to work whenever you may need it, there needs to be some sort of cellphone-to-tower communication that is available. According to Apple, if you see SOS or SOS only in the status bar of you iPhone, your device can still make emergency calls. If you have an Android, Samsung has instructions here on how to set up the Emergency SOS feature. It is also recommended to hold your phone up above your head in the most open area possible. The least amount of obstructions (trees, buildings) will help the phone and the tower communicate more efficiently. 

So, before you lace up your hiking boots and head into the Maine wilderness, remember: even if you can’t text your friends that stunning the view, there’s a good chance you can reach out to emergency services if you need to. That said, it’s still good to be aware of your surroundings, let someone know your plans, and enjoy the great outdoors (or wherever you are in Maine) safely.