On Sunday 23rd April at 3pm there will be a nationwide test across smartphones of the Emergency Alerts System.
Here is all of the information on the alert, including when it may be used in the future and what it will look and sound like: About Emergency Alerts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The test will appear on phone screens along with a sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds.
While the system is intended to bring public awareness to life-threatening emergencies nearby there may be many circumstances in which you would need to disable it, particularly if you’re a victim of domestic abuse with a concealed second phone.
To disable the test, Android users should:
Go to Settings -> search ‘Emergency Alerts’ in the search bar -> turn off alerts for ‘Severe threats’ and ‘Extreme threats’ by tapping the toggle button (blue means on)
To disable, iPhone users should:
Go to settings -> click ‘Notifications’ -> scroll to bottom of page to find ‘Emergency alerts’ -> tap the toggle to turn off ‘Extreme alerts’ and ‘Severe alerts’ (green means on)
The test alert will not sound if your phone is turned off or on Airplane mode at the time (3pm).
