Apple Adds 'Test Alerts' Toggle to iPhone Just in Case You Really Want to Receive Test Emergency Alerts

Apple has added a new "Test Alerts" toggle to the Settings app in iOS 15.6 and the third beta of iOS 16. The toggle is visible only on iPhones connected to a U.S. carrier and allows users to enable test emergency alerts from the U.S. government.

iPhone 13 Test Alerts Feature
Turning on "Test Alerts" enables test emergency alerts to be received on both the iPhone and Apple Watch. The toggle is located in the Settings app under Notifications → Government Alerts and is turned off by default. Apple says the government is responsible for the content and the frequency of the test alerts.

It was already possible to enable test alerts on previous versions of iOS by installing a special profile from Apple or dialing a code in the Phone app. The toggle simply provides users with an easier way to opt in to receive test alerts.

Apple has updated support documents for the iPhone and Apple Watch with more details.

(Test Alerts graphic based on screenshot shared by via @MikeBeas)

Related Forums: iOS 15, iOS 16

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
maxresdefault

Here's the First Real-World Look at Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:52 am PDT by
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...

Top Rated Comments

TinyMito Avatar
37 months ago
Canada needs these toggles… BECAUSE Canada kept on misusing these Emergency alerts!!!

Amber alert in the middle of the night, 500kms away from my city + no description of the child or kidnapper… what do they expect us to do? Get out in PJ and drive, 500kms around to find the child?

[SPOILER="banana"]w..........t.......f......... Canada service…[/SPOILER]

Overslept. Lost my Job. Apply for IE. Here goes your Money.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChromeAce Avatar
37 months ago
If you live in Hawaii, you can also opt to receive Fake Incoming Nuclear Missile alerts.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ILoveCalvinCool Avatar
37 months ago
Is there anyone who chooses to leave Amber Alerts on if they know about this setting?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Randel.D Avatar
37 months ago
The title of this article lol ?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Arnold Ziffel Avatar
37 months ago
I don’t need the government pinging me.

We used to have Spectrum TV, and they would interrupt shows for Amber Alerts for incidents that happened hundreds of miles away. No point in that other than to ramp up the fear. All reality is local.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BootsWalking Avatar
37 months ago
I want government alerts enabled in case of nuclear apocalypse - that way I can at least know to call friends and family to say goodbye. And also so I know when a baby has been abducted 200 miles away.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)