There will be a national test of the UK’s new Emergency Alerts system on Sunday 23 April at 15:00: the broadcast may be active until 16:00 (phones will only receive the alert once).
The test alert will be sent to most mobile phones across the UK. Devices will make a distinct, siren-like sound for up to 10 seconds, including on phones switched to silent mode.
Phones will also vibrate and display a message about the test. You can hear an example of what the test will look and sound like in this video(English only).
Emergency Alerts is a UK government service that will warn you if there’s a danger to life nearby.
In an emergency, your mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe.
About Emergency Alerts – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This email has been sent a range of stakeholders across Wales and we ask that you share as widely as possible.
UK Government have only provided limited assets from their wider toolkit in Welsh, these can be found here: bilingual language (Welsh and English) assets link.
The wider UK Government toolkit has been broken down into useful sections set out below:
- Transportation and motorists’ assets.
- Vulnerable Audiences assets.
- General 23 April UK wide test assets.
- Q&A and Factsheets.
- Social Media.
- All toolkit assets link.
Any issues or questions please contact:
Transportation and motorists’ assets:
- Graphics.
- Key messages.
- Phone while driving.
- Video explainer.
- Motorists Google drive link
- Transportation Google drive link
UK Government has only supplied these assets in English.
Vulnerable Audiences assets:
UK Government has only supplied these assets in English.
Here’s a BSL video what to expect as part of the test alert:
Emergency Alert System – YouTube
FAQ extract:
I am a domestic abuse victim and need to conceal my phone. How can I stop it from going off?
It is possible to opt out of the system if you need your phone to stay concealed.
Can I opt out?
Emergency Alerts use several channels and the ability to opt in or out is determined by the channel type. However, we strongly recommend that people do not opt out of the service, as it is intended to warn you when lives are in danger.
Opt Out iPhone:
- To opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off Severe alerts and Emergency alerts.
- If this does not work, contact your device manufacturer.
- For further advice go to gov.uk/alerts/opt-out.
Opt Out Android phones and tablets:
- To opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off Severe alerts and Emergency alerts.
- On Huawei devices running EMUI 11 or older, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and please turn off “Extreme threats”, “Severe threats” and “Show amber alerts”.
- If this does not work, contact your device manufacturer.
What languages will messages be broadcast in?
The primary language will be English. Sending dual language English/Welsh messages is also possible for alerts in Wales. We will continue to investigate the use of the technology for messages sent in other languages to increase the effectiveness and reach of the service.
I am visually or hearing impaired, will I know when I receive an Emergency Alert?
Yes. Emergency Alerts are designed to attract attention. This means 4G/5G capable devices (for criteria see above) use a loud, siren-like sound so people with visual impairments are not excluded. Some phones will also read out the message and can override volume settings. Emergency Alerts also use a distinct vibration type. Testing with users who have hearing aids demonstrated that the reserved tone is pronounced for those individuals in a unique way. For those with visual impairments screen magnification will also facilitate reading an Emergency Alert.
I work with/am a parent of /am a carer of a person who may be distressed by this type of alert. How has this been taken into consideration?
As part of the public information campaign, the Government is working closely with stakeholders to ensure that the communities and people who are more likely to be distressed by this type of alert are made aware of the Emergency Alert service. If you can, we also advise you to identify vulnerable people living nearby who you can inform of the service.
Those who are vulnerable can also be directed to the website (gov.uk/alerts) for more information about Emergency Alerts, including what happens when you get an alert, reasons you might receive one and how it works. There is also an explainer video they can watch to find out more.
Will this new service disadvantage some individuals or groups?
Emergency Alerts are just one of many tools the Government has to communicate with the public about emergency situations. The service will be one source of information in the event of a life-threatening emergency. Existing procedures will still be in place- for example those without a mobile will still be made aware through the news and local emergency services.
As part of the public information campaign, the Government is working closely with stakeholders to ensure that those communities and people who are less likely to have a mobile will be able to access the information distributed through the alerts. We advise you to identify someone who lives near you who can inform you of any Emergency Alerts being sent.
General 23 April UK wide test assets:
UK Government has only supplied these assets in English.
Q&A covers:
- What are Emergency Alerts?
- What will the alert look and sound like?
- Can I opt out?
- Opt Out iPhone
. - Opt Out Android phones and tablets
. - How can I find an Emergency Alert on my phone after I’ve acknowledged it?
- How do they work?
- Will I still receive an alert if I have an old phone?
- Is my privacy and security protected?
- Will alerts sent to my mobile phone tell authorities where I am or be used to gather data about me?
- I am a domestic abuse victim and need to conceal my phone. How can I stop it from going off?
- What is the difference between SMS and Emergency Alerts?
- How will I know that the alert is genuine and not a scam?
- What other ways will you use to alert people of an emergency?
- What languages will messages be broadcast in?
- How frequently might I get them?
- What are test alerts?
- I am visually or hearing impaired, will I know when I receive an Emergency Alert?
- I work with/am a parent of /am a carer of a person who may be distressed by this type of alert. How has this been taken into consideration?
- Will this new service disadvantage some individuals or groups?
UK Government has only supplied these assets in English.
Social Media
We will be posting about the UK Government Emergency Alert System across our Welsh Government social media channels.
Please help share these posts:
12pm on Monday 17 April
Please read and share – this weekend @GOVUK will test their Emergency Alert System ⚠️
It is designed to alert people in the UK to a nearby emergency – via their mobile device.
This Sunday at 3pm, we’ll all receive a test alert.
Here’s what to expect 👇
12pm Wednesday 19 April
This Sunday at 3pm, @GOVUK will test their Emergency Alert System ⚠️
It is designed to alert people in the UK to a nearby emergency – via their mobile device.
Here’s a #BSL video what to expect as part of the test alert 👇
8am Sunday 23 April
At 3pm today, we’ll receive a test alert as part of @GOVUK’s Emergency Alert System ⚠️
It is designed to alert people in the UK to a nearby emergency – via their mobile device.
Here’s what to expect 👇
Here are links to the social media assets provided by UK Government:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xR97fxGcOVRtnjpyRXwMKTipoCn-8iWg
