If you have a Starlink dish collecting dust, you’ll need to update it by Nov. 17 or it will no longer function, according to emails sent out by SpaceX.
The company is directing users to place their dishes outside -- a perfectly clear view of the sky is not required -- and allow the update to download and install, which usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes. The news was first reported by our sister site PCMag.
"It is critical you perform this software update before Nov. 17, or your Starlink will no longer function," the email cautions.
Reddit user Adli99
Starlink automatically updates the software on its dishes, and there’s no option to disable that feature. That means this deadline will only apply to Starlink users who canceled or paused their service, but still have the dish. Starlink did not clarify whether this applies to Mini kits, but I think it’s safe to assume that it does.
According to a support page published on Oct. 27, the notifications went out to customers with significantly out-of-date Starlink software. These customers fall into two groups: Some dishes will be completely inoperable after Nov. 17 without the update, and the rest will just be unable to access the internet until the update is performed.
You do not need an active Starlink subscription to install the update. All you need to do is plug the dish in, take it outside and follow the instructions in the app.
“You will not be charged for completing this update or for keeping your Starlink plugged in during the process,” the support page says.
That process sounds simple enough, but some Starlink customers on Reddit have complained that they won’t be able to access their dishes by the Nov. 17 deadline.
“I bought my kit on 2024.07.31 and it's been in storage across the country while I've been moving. I have no way to access it before the November deadline,” one Reddit user wrote. “I'm hoping it has the newer ability to sideload the update once I'm ready to use it. If it doesn't, though, what do I even do? I'll contact support about it soon obviously, but are they responsive and helpful about this kind of stuff?”
Starlink doesn’t have in-person stores or a phone number you can call -- one of the reasons it’s received less-than-stellar customer service scores in surveys -- so users with issues like this will have to submit a support ticket and hope for a quick response. PCMag has a helpful guide for reaching Starlink customer service here.
Representatives for Starlink did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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