Government’s Emergency Alerts test to mobiles on Sunday 23 April 3pm

This Sunday (23 April 2023) at 3pm the Government will be testing their new Emergency Alert system.

The alert will say:-

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.

This is a test. You do not need to take any action.

Emergency Alerts on mobile phones – Sunday 23 April 2023 at 3pm

The Emergency Alert sounds like a loud siren and will come directly from your phone.

As this is a national test, it will affect everyone with a compatible phone regardless of location. The alert will also still sound if your phone is on silent.

The Government’s new Emergency Alerts system will enable people to be contacted via their mobile phone when lives are in danger. This system has been created to enable the Government and the emergency services to contact people via their mobiles in the event of emergencies, such as severe flooding.

Emergency Alerts are sent to all compatible mobiles when there’s a danger to your life, health or property in the area you’re located. They don’t track your location, need your phone number, or collect personal data. Only the Government and the emergency services will be able to send them. If you receive an alert, you will hear a loud siren-like sound for up to 10 seconds and a message will appear on the screen until you acknowledge it.

In normal circumstances, Emergency Alerts are sent to all compatible mobiles within an area of risk. They don’t track your location, need your phone number, or collect personal data.

Motorists

You MUST NOT hold a mobile phone while driving or riding a motorcycle. It is illegal to do so. If you receive an alert while driving, do not pick up your phone and attempt to deal with the message. Continue driving as normal, staying in full control of your vehicle. If you feel the need to look at your phone, you must find a safe and legal place to pull over first.

Vulnerable people

If you are, or know someone who is, experiencing domestic abuse and have a secret/second phone, then the charity Refuge have created a video guiding you through the ways you can disable alerts. That can be watched on their YouTube channel.

The Government strongly recommends that most people do not opt out of the service, as it is intended to warn you when lives are in danger.

To find out more about Emergency Alerts, visit the Government website.

You can find a series of FAQs here: Frequently asked questions about Emergency Alerts (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Easy Read

Both Easy Read version and some community languages about the Emergency Alerts are now available.

English language Easy Read leaflet

Community languages

In partnership with the Government, the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership, has published fact sheets in a number of community languages at https://vcsep.org.uk/resources/emergency-alerts-system including:

• Bengali
• French
• Gujarati
• Tamil
• Ukrainian
• Urdu