I have good news for all iPhone users hoping to grab the latest iOS 18.3 update. It will not turn your device into one of Elon Musk’s lackeys, even if it does include support for T-Mobile’s just-hit-beta Starlink satellite offering.
Here’s how this “news” came to be: Over the past two weeks, social media has expressed dismay over a report in Bloomberg last month that said Apple and SpaceX had been “secretly working” with T-Mobile to add support for the Starlink network in the latest version of iOS. Now, I don’t have information to say whether the two companies are or aren’t collaborating. But I know the fear-mongering about installing iOS 18.3 and allowing Starlink access to your iPhone has been greatly exaggerated.
The iOS 18.3 update supports Starlink’s new satellite connectivity offerings with T-Mobile. The carrier announced the beta launch in a big Superbowl ad, and any smartphone on any mobile network can try it. T-Mobile’s idea behind the beta is to convert you over as a new customer for its out-in-the-wilderness connection offerings, so it had to be available for every iPhone compatible with iOS 18.3. For now, this includes the iPhone 14 and up.
The first complaints started on Apple’s support pages. Folks claimed they would ditch their iPhones if it meant acquiescing to Elon’s whims. “I want nothing to do with Elon Musk [sic],” wrote a user named noelonmuskplease. It’s the number one voted comment on that thread. “The world freaked out when Apple downloaded a U2 album onto everyone’s iPhones. Why is this not being publicized more?” asked another user.
Well, here you go. I’m publicizing it for you. Another user on a different support forum page also asked if there was a way to block T-Mobile and Starlink’s satellite network offering so as not to have the link on their device. “Based on who owns Starlink and his attitude towards data privacy, I don’t want to connect to Starlink in any circumstance,” replied another user. Reddit went in on it, too.
Then, a few users on TikTok went viral with the assertion that downloading the iOS 18.3 update would put “Starlink in your pocket.” They told people to hold off on updating devices until there was more information about what was to come. The comments are still going strong from people, likely less technically savvy than the weirdos here at Gizmodo, expressing relief over holding off on the update for fear of complying with Elon’s Starlink.
I love tech sleuths on social media and often cite them in my work. But it’s a wild jump from receiving a standard, run-of-the-mill software update to being unable to sleep because an Elon-adjacent product has dumped code on your phone. But this is also a prime example of what happens when you live in a world where misinformation runs rampant and quickly gains traction because of the fear surrounding an idea. Right now, people are wary because of what’s happening high up in the U.S. government with Trump, Musk, and the rest of the band of mayhem-men.
What happened is this: people freaked out over the idea that their iPhones had a link to one of the most hated men on earth. We saw Tim Cook at Trump’s inauguration. We’ve seen how Silicon Valley recently cowed to the newest administration and how easily the biggest technology companies rolled back their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion due to political pressure. Unsurprisingly, users would think that Musk was coming for the iPhone. He went for the White House, didn’t he?
