How to Turn off UK emergency alerts: On Sunday, April 23, at 3 p.m., the UK’s emergency alert system will be tried. This will cause all 4G and 5G-capable mobile phones in the country to make a loud siren-like sound, even if they are on silent. The alerts are meant to let people know about situations that could endanger their lives.
However, there are times when the test could reveal hidden cell phones, putting people at risk of domestic violence or putting others in danger. If you make sure your phone is completely off before 3 p.m. on Sunday, it won’t make any noise. But you can turn off the alerts for good by going into the settings on your phone. Look for “emergency alerts” in the settings menu to find the choices quickly, or just read on.
Steps to Block UK emergency alerts on iPhone
- Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on “Notifications.”
- Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap on “Government Alerts.”
- Toggle off the “Emergency Alerts” option.
How to Block UK emergency alerts on Android
- Open the “Settings” app on your Android device.
- Scroll down and tap on “Apps & notifications” or “Apps” (the exact wording may differ based on your device).
- Tap on “Advanced” or “See all apps” to expand the options.
- Scroll down and tap on “Emergency alerts” or “Emergency alerts & Amber alerts.”
- Toggle off the specific types of emergency alerts you want to block, such as “Extreme threats,” “Severe threats,” or “AMBER alerts.”
How emergency alerts work
In case of an emergency, mobile phone masts in the area will send out a message. Everyone in range of a mast with a compatible phone or computer will get the alert. All 4G and 5G phone networks in the UK can get emergency alerts. You don’t have to be connected to mobile internet or wifi on your phone or tablet to get alerts. It’s free to get emergency messages. You don’t have to sign up or get an app to use them.
FAQs
The alert system will be used to warn the public in the event of incidents such as fires, flooding, extreme weather conditions and terrorist attacks. The Emergency Alert System was nationally launched on 19 March 2023, almost two years after the first public test.
If you go into the settings app and then go into the ‘Sounds and Vibration’ section there should be an option for ‘More Settings’. From there you can go to ‘Wireless Emergency Alerts’ and find the ‘Allow Alerts’ button that you can switch off.
Open the Settings menu on your phone. Scroll down and select Safety & emergency. Scroll down again and tap Wireless emergency alerts. Find the AMBER Alerts toggle and switch it off.