UK-wide test of Emergency Alerts system

A UK-wide test of the life-saving public Emergency Alerts system will take place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April.

Following successful pilots in East Suffolk and Reading, the test of the new Emergency Alerts system 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.

Emergency Alerts enable urgent messages to be broadcast to a defined area when there is an imminent risk to life, such as wildfires or severe flooding.

The public does not need to take any action for the test - the sound and vibration will stop automatically after ten seconds. All people need to do is swipe away the message or click ‘OK’ on their phone’s home screen - just like for a ‘low battery’ warning or notification - and continue to use their phone as usual.

There have been concerns raised about vulnerable groups, especially people experiencing domestic abuse. Those in this type of situation can opt out of an Emergency Alert. However, we strongly recommend that people do not opt out of the service, as it is intended to warn you when lives are in danger. 

If you’d like to opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off Emergency alerts. If this does not work, please get in touch with your device manufacturer. For further advice, visit the  government website.

The charity, Refuge, has also tweeted and shared a video