On Sunday 23 April at 15:00, there will be a national test of the UK Emergency Alerts service.
This is a UK government messaging service that will warn you if there is a danger to life nearby. This could be used in future to alert you to things like flooding, fires, or extreme weather.
The alert will display on your mobile phone or tablet along with the following:
- A loud siren-like sound (even if your phone is on silent)
- Vibration
The noise and vibration will last for about 10 seconds. If your phone is off, or on flight mode during the time of the alert, your phone will receive the alert when you turn it back on or turn off flight mode. You can see what the emergency alert will look and sound like here
Secret or secondary phone?
If you have a secret or secondary phone for your personal safety, bear in mind this will also sound or vibrate when the Emergency Alert comes through, even if it is on silent. The charity Refuge has put together this advice video on how to disable the alerts (for an Android phone or an iPhone)
How to disable the alert in your phone settings:
Apple
Go to Settings > Notifications > scroll to the bottom to the Emergency Alerts section > disable the Extreme and Severe alerts option (tap the green sliders so they turn grey)
Android
Go to settings > use the search bar to search for Emergency Alerts > Broadcast Settings > tap the blue sliders so they turn grey to turn the settings off.
You can find more information about emergency alerts here