If you thought your phone alarm going off in the morning was bad enough, there’s going to be a louder one soon.
At 3pm tomorrow (Sunday, April 23), phones and tablets across the country will sound for ten seconds as part of a nationwide test of the National Alarm.
It is being used to alert users to an emergency notification, which will appear on the screen.
The alarm will sound even if you have your phone or tablet on silent or vibrate.
Domestic abuse charities have issued warnings that the test ‘may endanger domestic abuse victims’ and urging people living with abusers to disable the alerts or switch their phones and tablets off beforehand.
Here’s all you need to know about the upcoming National Alarm Test…
When is the Emergency Alarm Test?
Emergency Alerts is a UK government service that will warn you if there’s a danger to life nearby.
The service is being rolled out with a nationwide test tomorrow – Sunday, April 23 at 3pm.
At this time, a trial alert will be sent to all compatible devices in the United Kingdom.
In a real-life situation – meaning not a trial and when danger is flagged – an alarm will go off, sharing advice with how to stay safe depending on the situation.
You may get alerts about:
- Severe flooding
- Fires
- Extreme weather
Emergency alerts will only be sent by:
- Emergency services
- Government departments, agencies, and public bodies that deal with emergencies
Why is it happening?
On April 23, the service will send an alert to compatible devices to try it out.
Users will get their first experience of the siren-like alert so that they’d be familiar if a real-life situation occurs in the future.
The April 23 alert will read:
This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.
In an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.
Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
What phones will the alert be sent to?
Emergency Alerts are sent to all compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones or tablets within an area of risk. They don’t track your location, need your phone number, or collect personal data.
When it goes off, expect your mobile phone or tablet to:
- Make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent
- Vibrate
- Read out the alert
The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds. The alert looks and sounds different to other types of messages such as SMS text messages.
You’ll know it’s an Emergency Alert because you’ll hear a loud, siren-like sound and your phone will use a distinct vibration. A message will appear on your screen until you acknowledge it.
The alert will also include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.
You’ll get alerts based on your current location – not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts.
If you don’t have a mobile phone, don’t worry, you won’t be left in danger – you’ll still be made aware through the media and local emergency services.
Can you stop the alarm going off?
You can opt out of emergency alerts, but gov.uk advises everyone keeping them switched on for their own safety.
To opt-out:
- Search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’
- Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts.’
You will also not receive an alert if:
- Your phone is turned off or in airplane mode
- You’re connected to a 2G or 3G network
- You’re using Wi-Fi only (so not connected to a network)
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