First National UK Emergency Alerts Test Set for Today, But iPhones Won't Be Included in Testing Until Next Week

The U.K. government on Tuesday will perform its first national test of a new Emergency Alerts system, but only Android users will receive the alert, with iPhones to be included in a smaller, regional test later this month, the Cabinet Office has confirmed to MacRumors.

emergency alerts e1624357268188
The government-issued emergency alerts, set to go live this summer, are part of a public safety system similar to one used in the U.S. that is designed to warn smartphone and tablet users if there's a danger to life nearby, with advice about how to stay safe. Alerts will be either national or localized depending on the threat level, and will be sent in cases of severe flooding, fires, explosions, terrorist incidents, and public health emergencies.

When an alert arrives, your phone or tablet may make a loud siren-like sound, even if it's set to silent, vibrate, or read out the alert. When an alert is received, the sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds, and some alerts may include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.

On Tuesday, the government and mobile phone networks are due to test the emergency alerts nationally for the first time, between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. local time. The first test will occur for Android devices only, while iPhones will be included in a test for the first time on Tuesday, 29 June, although the test will be localized in the Reading, Berkshire area.

Users can opt out of some emergency alerts, but not the most serious ones, says the U.K. government. Users can't opt out by subject, only by how serious the emergency is. If you opt out because you do not want flood warnings, for example, you might miss alerts for fires and terrorism. For this reason, the official advice is to keep emergency alerts switched on.

Emergency alerts work on iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later. The ability to opt-out appears on iPhones in Settings -> Notifications, under "Emergency Alerts," where there's a switch to disable "Severe Alerts."

Update: the U.K. government website has now been updated to clarify iPhone inclusion in the June 29 test.

Top Rated Comments

Unggoy Murderer Avatar
23 months ago

Who remembers the fake missile attack warning in Hawaii? THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
Reminds me of this:

Original creator: on Reddit ('https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/7qrej8/real_screenshot_from_hawaii_warning_system_actual/')

Attachment Image
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
23 months ago
Who remembers the fake missile attack warning in Hawaii? THIS IS NOT A DRILL!



Attachment Image
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Khedron Avatar
23 months ago

Did you read the article?
Or even the last three words of the headline
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlexisV Avatar
23 months ago
With the amount of faffing and confusion from the buffoon apparently running the country, I wouldn't be surprised to receive a flood warning telling me to get to lower ground. Before an imminent terrorist attack.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JUiCEJamie Avatar
23 months ago
Being from the UK; it's nice to see us getting on board with these alerts.

One extra alert every now and again isn't going to break the camels back is it - not with the sheer amount of other notifications we receive each day.

I was travelling in Canada once, and I received a notification about a child abduction in a city I was driving through. After speaking to a few locals in a bar later that night and doing some local news research, turns out the person at large was caught!!

I'm here for this!

[EDIT] Here's the Gov.uk release about this - https://www.gov.uk/alerts
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HacKage Avatar
23 months ago

I support these if they are provided by each countries government. I don't give a monkeys if there is a ballistic missile heading for London, or some Londoner is on a rampage killing other Londoners for whatever daft reason, that doesn't affect me in the slightest. I care about my own country. And even still, it should be opt in. When Covid started we were bombarded with notifications from both the Scottish government and then the English government repeating the same messages and sending out unsolicited text messages that they have still to apologise for nor have someone take responsibility with repercussions.
If a ballistic missile was to hit London today it would have very real consequences for me in Glasgow, regardless of whether there is a hard or soft border between us and England. I could have family, friends, business colleagues in the immediate vicinity, or it could be that the whole United Kingdom will probably be going to war which would have a massive affect on the whole country.

You are just coming across as petty. The Uk Gov failing to apologise for sending messages at the height of worldwide pandemic that's killed thousands of people in Scotland, and you want repercussions?!

Gie's peace!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2023 Event Taking Place June 5 to 9

Wednesday March 29, 2023 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
CarPlay Phone Call

General Motors to Phase Out Apple CarPlay Starting This Year in EV Transition

Friday March 31, 2023 8:43 am PDT by
General Motors (GM) will phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles starting this year, shifting to a built-in infotainment system co-developed with Google (via Reuters). GM owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC in the United States. It will stop offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, which goes on sale this summer. The company plans ...
iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2

iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Feature Multi-Use Action Button Instead of Mute Switch

Wednesday March 29, 2023 7:28 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year. The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Now Available for Your iPhone With These 8 New Features

Friday March 31, 2023 8:55 am PDT by
Following six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 was released to the public this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and changes added with iOS 16.4,...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Three New iOS Features Coming to Your iPhone Following Apple Music Classical

Thursday March 30, 2023 7:13 am PDT by
With the Apple Music Classical app and an Apple Pay Later early access program now available, the list of previously-announced iOS features that have yet to launch is beginning to shrink. However, there are still a few features we are waiting for. Below, we have recapped three more iOS features that are expected to launch in 2023, including an Apple Card savings account for Daily Cash,...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Kuo: Apple Mixed-Reality Headset May Not Appear at WWDC as Mass Production Pushed Back Yet Again

Thursday March 30, 2023 4:50 am PDT by
Apple has again pushed back mass production of its mixed-reality headset and the device may not appear at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane In a tweet, Kuo explained that Apple "isn't very optimistic" about whether the headset will be able to create an "iPhone moment." As a result,...