Emergency alerts system to be tested nationally on 23 April
The UK government’s new Emergency Alerts system is now live, and will be tested nationally on Sunday 23 April at 3pm.
The system will enable people to be contacted via their mobile phone when lives are in danger.
It will be used to warn you in the event of emergencies, such as severe flooding.
Emergency Alerts are sent to all compatible mobile phones within an area of risk. They don’t track your location, need your phone number, or collect personal data. Only the government and the emergency services will be able to send them. If you don’t have a mobile phone, you’ll still be kept informed through other channels.
If you get an Emergency Alert on your phone, you’ll hear a loud, siren-like sound. A message on your screen will tell you about the emergency and how best to respond. You’ll be able to check an alert is genuine at gov.uk/alerts
If you receive an alert, read the alert carefully and follow the instructions. The test alert, which will take place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April, will see people receive a message on the home screen of their mobile phone, along with a sound and vibration for up to ten seconds. The message will say:
“In a real 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.”
To find out more about Emergency Alerts, including how to opt-out, visit gov.uk/alerts
Women’s aid are concerned about the potential safety risks to survivors 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.
Survivors can opt out from receiving emergency alerts to avoid their device from being detected.
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 alert may still be received on earlier versions of Android. To check, search your device settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
How to opt out
For 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 Android
To opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off ‘Severe alerts’ and ‘Emergency alerts’. On some devices, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off ‘Extreme threats’, ‘Severe threats’ and ‘Show amber alerts’.
Refuge’s tech team have put together information for survivors with an iPhone or Android on how to opt-out of the system. You can also find out more at gov.uk/alerts and on the Q&A document.