There’s going to be another test of the UK’s Emergency Alerts system this coming Sunday, the 9th of September at 3pm. The test will ping every mobile in the country and cause a loud noise, even on phones that are set to silent.
The good news is there’s nothing to worry about, though it may give you and those around you a jump. This is just a test, like the test carried out in 2023, and you don’t need to take any action. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening this time around.
When is the test happening?
The test is scheduled for Sunday the 9th of September, at 3pm British Summer Time. Everyone in the UK should get the alert at the same time, so if you’re in a public place, you might see a lot of people suddenly looking at their phones.
The date and timing have been chosen to minimize disruption to schools, religious gatherings, and places of work. In a real emergency of course, the alert would be sent out as soon as possible, by the UK government and the emergency services.
What will happen on my phone?
Your phone will vibrate and make a loud noise for around 10 seconds at 3pm, as well as displaying a message on screen confirming this is just a test. You don’t need to be on a special network for this to work, or have a specific app installed. If you miss the alert as it’s happening, head to the UK government current alerts page.
Your phone needs to be 4G or 5G compatible, and switched on: Phones that are switched off won’t get the warning, though they might if they’re switched on shortly afterwards. Rather ambiguously, the official guidelines say you may or may not get an alert if your phone is in airplane mode, without any further explanation.
What if I’m abroad or visiting the UK?
The official UK government guidance is rather light on information about what happens if you’re a UK citizen out of the country, or if you’re visiting the UK from somewhere else. The general consensus seems to be that only people located in the UK at the time of the alert will be affected – and that might possibly include visitors and tourists.
What we do know for sure is that the Emergency Alerts system is location based, and sends out warnings from specific masts to all the UK networks. It therefore seems unlikely that UK residents who are out of the country will get pinged, but if you’re visiting then there’s a chance you could see the alert, depending on how your phone is set up.
What is the system designed for?
On the UK Emergency Alerts site, some potential reasons for alerts being sent out are given as wildfires, severe flooding, and extreme storms. We’re assuming that approaching asteroids on a direct collision course would count too.
There’s also official information about how you can prepare for an emergency. For example, if you think you might need extra support if your utilities are cut off, you can sign up for that in advance.
How can I turn the alert off?
We wouldn’t recommend turning these alerts off, as they could save your life. However, there are situations where you might want to disable them – for example, those who are experiencing domestic abuse and have to keep a second phone hidden.
As above, you can turn your phone off on Sunday to avoid the alert. You can also disable them through your phone’s settings: On Android, open Settings and search for “emergency alerts”, then turn off Extreme alerts and Severe alerts. On iOS, open Settings, then tap Notifications to find the Extreme alerts and Severe alerts toggle switches.
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