This Sunday (23 April 2023) at 3pm the Government will be testing their new Emergency Alert system.
The alert will say:-
“This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK Government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.
In an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.
Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
This is a test. You do not need to take any action.”
The Emergency Alert sounds like a loud siren and will come directly from your phone. As this is a national test, it will affect everyone with a compatible phone regardless of location. The alert will also still sound if your phone is on silent.
We are all free to make a choice about whether or not we want to receive these emergency alerts, but there is concern over potential safety risks to people who may be keeping their phones hidden from an abuser, as the alert is a loud, siren-like sound with a screen message and vibration.
The charity Refuge have created a video guiding you through the ways you can disable alerts. That can be watched on their YouTube channel.
People can opt out from receiving emergency alerts to avoid their device from being detected.
How to opt out of Emergency Alerts
You can opt out of Emergency Alerts, but you should keep them switched on for your own safety. To opt out:-
- Search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
- Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.
If you still get alerts, contact your device manufacturer for help.
Emergency Alerts will be sent to compatible mobile phones within an area of risk.
Emergency alerts work on:-
- iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later
- Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later.
The alerts may still be received on earlier versions of Android. If you have an earlier version of Android, you may still be able to receive alerts. To check, search your device settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
Reasons you will not get an alert
You will not receive alerts if your device is:-
- turned off, or in airplane mode
- connected to a 2G or 3G network
- wifi only
- not compatible.
To find out more about Emergency Alerts, visit the Government website.