The UK Government will test its Emergency Alert System on Sunday, 7th September at 3:00 PM.
This will trigger a loud sound and vibration on all mobile phones, even if they’re on silent.
If you have a concealed phone for safety, this alert could reveal its presence.You can opt out of these alerts.
iPhone
To opt out:
- Go to your settings and select the ‘notifications’ menu.
- Scroll to the bottom.
- Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.
Android phones
To opt out:
- Search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
- Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.
Other mobile phones and tablets
Depending on the manufacturer and software version of your phone, emergency alerts settings may be called different names, such as ‘wireless emergency alerts’ or ‘emergency broadcasts’.
The settings can usually be found in one of the following ways. Go to:
- ‘message’, then ‘message settings, then ‘wireless emergency alerts’, then ‘alert’
- ‘settings’, then ‘sounds’, then ‘advanced’, then ‘emergency broadcasts’
- ‘settings’, then ‘general settings’, then ‘emergency alerts’
Then turn off ‘severe alerts’, ‘extreme alerts’ and ‘test alerts’.
Click here for alternative ways to opt out of operator test alerts.
