There will be a national test of the UK Emergency Alert Service on Sunday, 23rd April at 3pm. People with compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones and tablets will receive an alert as part of this test.
An Emergency Alert looks and sounds very different to other types of messages such as SMS text messages. You’ll hear a loud, siren-like sound — even if it is in silent mode — and your phone will use a distinct vibration and a message will appear on your screen until you acknowledge it.
When you get an alert, stop what you’re doing and follow the instructions in the alert. The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
The alert on 23 April will say: The alert will say:
“This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there is 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.”
Can I opt-out?
You can opt out of an Emergency Alert. Whilst it is strongly recommended that people do not opt out of the service as it is intended to warn you when lives are in danger, victims of domestic violence who use secret hidden phones are urged to turn off the alerts. To avoid receiving Emergency Alerts, you can also turn off your mobile phone or enable airplane mode.
Opt out iPhone:
To opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off Severe alerts and Emergency alerts.
If this does not work, contact your device manufacturer.
For further advice go to gov.uk/alerts/opt-out
Opt out Android phones and tablets:
To opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off Severe alerts and Emergency alerts.
On Huawei devices running EMUI 11 or older, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and please turn off “Extreme threats”, “Severe threats” and “Show amber alerts”
If this does not work, contact your device manufacturer
What do I do if I am driving?
If you are driving or riding a motorcycle when you get an alert, you should not read or respond to an emergency alert. It is illegal to use a hand-held device while driving or riding.
Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message. If there is nowhere safe or legal to stop close by, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, tune into live radio and wait for bulletins until you can find somewhere safe and legal to stop.
Accessibility
If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have an emergency alert.
Depending on your phone’s features, the alert will work with screen magnification and may read the message out for you having also overridden volume settings.
The unique noise emitted by the phone should also be audible for those who use a hearing aid.
Emergency alerts will be sent in English. In Wales, they may also be sent in Welsh.
If you cannot receive emergency alerts
If you don’t have a mobile phone, don’t worry – you’ll still be made aware through the media and local emergency services.
Emergency alerts will not replace local news, radio, television or social media.
For more information about Emergency Alerts, visit https://www.gov.uk/alerts.
18/04/2023