Testing of the governments new emergency alert system on 23 April

The government is launching a new emergency alert system and will be carrying out an alert test on Sunday 23 April at 3pm.

When the test takes place, mobile phones in the UK will make a distinct, siren-like sound for up to 10 seconds, including on phones switched to silent mode. Phones will also vibrate and display a message about the test. A test message will appear on your device's home screen, and you must acknowledge it before you can use other features. You   can hear an example of what the test will look and sound like in this video from the government.

What is the emergency alert system? 

On 19 March the government launched the new emergency alert system. This new system will give the government and emergency services the capability to send an alert directly to mobiles phones when there is a risk to life nearby. The emergency alerts system will transform the UK’s ability to warn and inform, providing a means to get urgent messages quickly to nearly 90% of mobile phones in a defined area, providing clear instructions about how best to respond. Emergency alerts will be used very rarely, only when there is an immediate risk to people’s lives.

What do you need to do when you receive the national test message on 23 April?

When you receive the alert, you do not need to take any action. The siren will stop automatically after 10 seconds. A message will stay on screen until you acknowledge it, just like a ‘low battery’ warning.

Turning off emergency alerts

You can choose to opt out of emergency alerts if you do not wish to receive them. 
To opt out: 
•    On your device, search settings for ‘emergency alerts’
•    Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’ 

You can find out more information about the new emergency alerts system on the government website.