Applies to: One NZ Satellite in New Zealand on eligible phones and lines. This is separate from Apple’s satellite service and the Starlink dish. The website’s country choice does not change your phone’s carrier entitlement.
Match your symptom
| What you see | What to do next |
|---|---|
| No satellite banner | In a safe place beyond terrestrial coverage, keep clear sky visibility and look for One NZ SpaceX. A first or long-unused connection can take up to 30 minutes. Record whether the banner appears, then compare one short ordinary text with one small supported app action. Do not walk into danger to chase a signal. |
| Text works; photos or apps fail | Satellite Data enables selected apps, not unrestricted home broadband. Open an already installed, signed-in supported app and try its simplest feature. If ordinary text works and only one feature fails, preserve that comparison for the app developer or carrier. Feature availability, capacity control and charges remain plan-dependent. |
Work through these checks
Match the feature and plan
Check the exact phone variant and its separate TXT, MMS and Data columns in One NZ’s current table. Imported Android variants are not guaranteed. An eligible TXT plan is not automatically a Satellite Data plan. Read the account’s included features before buying an add-on.
What the result means: Set up a new phone on normal internet. After a newly eligible phone, plan change or add-on, One NZ asks for a restart and 24 hours before going off-grid. Update phone and apps while connected normally. Check the selected apps in the phone’s satellite settings before the trip; download maps and sign in beforehand.
Compare a short text safely
In a safe place beyond terrestrial coverage, keep clear sky visibility and look for One NZ SpaceX. A first or long-unused connection can take up to 30 minutes. Record whether the banner appears, then compare one short ordinary text with one small supported app action. Do not walk into danger to chase a signal.
What the result means: This is routine troubleshooting, not emergency guidance. Do not test an emergency call, delete an eSIM or give up a working connection to force satellite use. Keep suitable safety equipment and backup communications for your trip. Stop if reaching open sky would be unsafe.
Separate media and app limits
If text succeeds but a picture fails, identify SMS, MMS, RCS or iMessage rather than treating them as interchangeable. One NZ’s PXT guidance gives a 300 KB limit and warns that long or group messages and some emoji can become chargeable MMS. Start with a short one-to-one text without an attachment; do not repeatedly send a large file.
What the result means: Satellite Data enables selected apps, not unrestricted home broadband. Open an already installed, signed-in supported app and try its simplest feature. If ordinary text works and only one feature fails, preserve that comparison for the app developer or carrier. Feature availability, capacity control and charges remain plan-dependent.
When to stop and get help
This is routine troubleshooting, not emergency guidance. Do not test an emergency call, delete an eSIM or give up a working connection to force satellite use. Keep suitable safety equipment and backup communications for your trip. Stop if reaching open sky would be unsafe.
What to tell support
Save the exact model/software, selected line, feature attempted, time and banner privately. Share account or location details only with official support, not in public screenshots.
Common questions
Should I buy a new phone immediately?
Not from a failed message alone. First separate unsupported features, missing entitlement and actual loss of connection. Use the live compatibility table for your exact variant; ask One NZ to confirm an imported device before spending money.
Original troubleshooting guidance based on the official sources below. Menu names can change. This is an independent guide, not a manufacturer service bulletin or a bench-tested repair.