When is the emergency alert test on mobile phones and can you opt out?

3 hours ago 2

Getty Images A woman with red hair looks at her turquoise mobile, which she holds in her hands. She wears a brightly patterned brown, yellow and orange shirt and has several rings on her fingers. Getty Images

The national system for sending emergency alerts to mobile phones will be tested for the second time this Sunday, 7 September.

The alerts are designed for situations where there is an imminent danger to life, such as during extreme weather events or a terror attack.

The previous test, in April 2023, revealed a number of technical issues including some users receiving multiple messages and others getting nothing at all.

What time will the emergency alert be sent and what will happen?

The text of the message will read:

"This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby.

"You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

"Find simple and effective advice on how to prepare for emergencies at gov.uk/prepare.

"Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information or to view this message in Welsh. Ewch i gov.uk/alerts am ragor o wybodaeth neu i weld y neges hon yn y Gymraeg."

Which devices will receive the alerts?

The alert will be sent to all smartphones on the UK's 4G and 5G networks, even if they are not connected to mobile data or wi-fi.

There are about 87 million mobile phones in the UK and the goverment says about 95% of the population has 4G or 5G access.

Older phones, and phones connected to 2G or 3G networks, will not receive the message.

Phones that are switched off or in airplane mode will also not get the alert.

Watch UK alert go off from a government test in 2023

Can users opt out of receiving emergency alerts?

The government strongly recommends that users enable devices to receive emergency alerts, but it is possible to opt out.

This can be done by searching in your phone's settings for "emergency alerts" and turning off "severe alerts" and "extreme alerts".

The government has published a guide on how to opt out of the test.

What is the advice for victims of domestic abuse?

What went wrong during the 2023 test?

During the first test some users got the alert ahead of the scheduled time while others got it later.

Many mobile phones on the Three network did not get anything at all, along with some users on other networks.

Others received multiple messages.

The government later confirmed that the test alert had not reached around 7% of compatible devices, and promised to fix the problems before any future tests.

The issues did not arise when the system was subsequently used to circulate real alerts.

What have emergency alerts been used for?

PA Media Police offers talk to residents in Plymouth in front of their police car and next to a blue sign which reads "Police. Road closed" on Friday 23 February, 2024. Residents were evacuated while a suspected World War Two bomb was removed from the garden where it was discovered and taken by military convoy to be disposed of at sea.PA Media

The alert system was used to tell local residents in Plymouth to evacuate after the discovery of a suspected WW2 bomb in a local garden

Read Entire Article