With this article, you can learn how to turn off the emergency alerts on iPhone and Android.
Nowadays, many people are trying to find a way to turn off the emergency alerts on their iPhone devices. People living in the UK experienced an emergency alert test through their phones, which occurred exactly at the same time. The alert displayed itself on the phones as a loud siren sound as well as a vibration and a message shown on 23 April, at 3 pm.
Since this was a test event, the information that it was merely a test thing was included in the message. In the future, however, real emergency situations such as fires or floods will directly be the subject of those alerts that include important, urgent information. The government thinks that the feature that was only tested yet could play a critical role in ensuring the safety of people in an emergency.
However, there was some criticism about this new emergency feature. Some organizations stated that the test could cause the endangerment of some people. The loud alert that might draw immediate attention to these devices could lead to harm to individuals who are at risk of domestic or sexual abuse. In that case, though, there is a possibility of switching this feature off in a fairly quick and easy way. If you need to get rid of that alert for one or another reason after experiencing the inevitable test, you just need to follow the steps below, based on the operating system that you are using.
Here’s how you turn off the emergency alerts on iPhone and Android
Don’t know how to turn off the emergency alerts on iPhone and Android? Follow these steps:
For iPhone:
- After opening up the Settings app, type “emergency alerts” in the search bar.
- The results will show you the option to turn off “Severe alerts” and “Emergency alerts.”
For Android:
- Hit the Settings app as well and search for emergency alerts.
- Though the wording might differ depending on the version you are using, usually you will see the switch for “emergency alerts” with the option that turns it off.
As a final remark, users should note that, besides the state of a device’s switched off, if it is connected to WiFi only, or in the case it is using a 2G or 3G network, the alert will not reach your phone. For the alert to kick off on your device, it also needs to be working on more recent operating systems, which means if your phone has been updated throughout the last few years, it is compatible with this alert system.
The initial reception of the test last Sunday
The test last Sunday happened on the same day with some major events: the London Marathon and a Premier League match between Bournemouth and West Ham, and Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur, for instance. The government officials said collaboration was maintained with the Football Association and the marathon’s organisers so the impact of the test was not overly disturbing.
Another worry of the government officials, based on the test on Sunday, was people who were driving at the time when the alert kicked off. The motorists are reminded not to switch off the alert since it is not legal to use a mobile phone during a drive. The government officially advised that people should not respond to an alert and continue to drive. Only when it is safe and legal to stop or where it is possible to get a passenger to respond to it, the message can be securely read.
UK’s Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden’s statement regarding the test shows that the citizens should expect the alert system will be in use more efficiently in the future, The Accountant reports:
“We are strengthening our national resilience with a new emergency alerts system, to deal with a wide range of threats – from flooding to wildfires. It will revolutionise our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger, and help us keep people safe. As we’ve seen in the US and elsewhere, the buzz of a phone can save a life.”
So, as you see, though it looks like a helpful initiative coming from the government, there are some cases that people need to disable such emergency alerts, and luckily, this is quite possible.
This way you’ve learned how to turn off the emergency alerts on iPhone, you can also check everything we know about iPhone 15 Pro Max if you are an Apple enthusiast!
