The UK’s Emergency Alert system is being tested this weekend, with an alarm set to be sent to millions of devices across the country. A nationwide test of the alert will enable the government to check that the system is working as it should, and that in the case of a real emergency, people will be successfully notified.
The system has been tested on a nationwide basis once previously, in April 2023, and has since been deployed five times in emergency scenarios, such as Storm Darragh in December 2024 when strong winds caused dangerous conditions in parts of the country. Back when the alert system was tested in 2023, some mobile phones on the Three network did not receive the alert. After the test, the government said it would resolve the issues so that the alert will be sent to everyone. This time around, the alert is set to go off at 3pm on Sunday, September 7, with a siren and vibration lasting around 10 seconds, or until the user switches the alert off. People can opt out of receiving the alert by changing the settings in their phone, but most people are advised to keep the service on in case of real emergencies.
However, in some cases, people may be advised to switch it off. Domestic abuse charities have urged victims to switch off the alarm if they have a hidden phone, in case the alarm alerts abusers to the device.
The government has warned Brits not to read or respond to emergency alerts when driving. If driving when the alert sounds, you should find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message.
The government has explained that the alert should get sent to all compatible devices, but some may not receive the alarm in certain circumstances.
People with devices that don’t connect to 4G or 5G may not receive the alert, and also people with phones that are older may not be sent the alert.
Who won’t receive the Emergency Alert
The emergency alert system works by using phone masts to ping all compatible mobile phones within their range. It does not require the government to know your location or phone number and personal data is not collected or stored by the system.
That means that anyone who is out of the country will not get the alert, only those who are within range of a mobile phone mast in the UK will.
Emergency alerts work on all 4G and 5G phone networks in the UK. However, there are a number of reasons your phone may not get the alert even if you are within range and have the alerts switched on. These include if your device is:
Phones that are compatible with Emergency Alerts include:
If you have an earlier version of Android, you may still be able to receive alerts. To check, search your device settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
Other phones that do not run iOS or Android may also receive alerts. However, if your phone is on Airplane mode when the alert is sent you may not get it.
