The government has confirmed that the UK’s emergency alert will be tested again
The UK government has today confirmed that the Emergency Alert system will be tested in September sending the notification to all mobile phones with 4G and 5G.
This test aims to check the Governments’ Emergency Alert system, which first launched in 2023 and is used to warn Brits if there’s a danger to life nearby, including extreme weather.
During the test, mobile phones will vibrate and make a loud siren sound for roughly ten seconds, even if they are set to silent. A message will also appear on phone screens, making it clear the alert is only a test.
Since launching, it has been deployed in emergencies such as during Storm Darragh in December 2024 when more than three million people were warned to stay indoors to avoid 90mph winds and two people tragically lost their lives.
Now ministers want to test the system by sending the alert out to ensure it is ready for any upcoming emergencies.
When the alert sounds, you can stop it by swiping off the message or clicking “OK”. And people who don’t want to get the alerts can opt out in their device settings, but the Government advises users to keep them turned on to keep themselves safe.
Domestic violence campaigners raised concerns when it was first trialled that it could alert abusers to their victims’ hidden mobile phones, so work was done to inform people how to turn it off if it could be a risk their safety.
In response to this, the government will be running a public information campaign to notify people that the test is taking place, including communications targeted at vulnerable groups, such as victims of domestic abuse.
Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “Emergency Alerts have the potential to save lives, allowing us to share essential information rapidly in emergency situations including extreme storms. Just like the fire alarm in your house, it’s important we test the system so that we know it will work if we need it.
“This test is part of our action plan to build resilience across the whole country and secure the nation under the Plan for Change – from the £1 billion we’re investing in a new network of National Biosecurity Centres to the £4.2 billion we’re investing to build a new generation of flood defences to protect local communities.”
What date will the alert be sent?
The government has confirmed that the test Emergency Alert will be sent out at 3pm on Sunday, September 7.
How to deactivate the Emergency Alert on your phone
iPhone
iPhone users should navigate to the Settings menu and press Notifications.
Once selected, users should scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the Emergency Alerts Menu.
If their phone is running on iOS 18 or later, users can choose to turn off both Severe alerts and Extreme alerts.
Use the toggle to switch it on or off.
Android
Android users search for ’emergency alerts’ in the Settings menu to turn off the alert.
Both Emergency and Severe alerts can be switched off here too, but the device must also be running on Android 15 or more recent software.