Emergency alert test from the government

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Emergency alert test from the government

A group of people look at their mobile phones. Behind them is a red box with a triangle warning symbol with text that reads UK Emergency Alert System

The government is testing the national emergency alert service in September. 

Images of mobile phones and tablets with a large red cross and the word ALERT behind them.

The emergency alerts will be sent to all mobile phones and tablets in the UK. 

A calendar page showing 7 September.

The test alert messages will be sent on Sunday 7 September at 3pm.

A mobile phone with the emergency alert test message on the screen.

The message will say:  

"This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life- threatening emergency nearby.

You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

Find simple and effective advice on how to prepare for emergencies at https://www.gov.uk/prepare 

Visit https://www.gov.uk/alerts for more information or to view this message in Welsh. 
Ewch i https://gov.uk/alerts am ragor o wybodaeth neu i weld y neges hon yn y Gymraeg."

A woman with her arms folded smiles at the camera.

You do not need to do anything because this message is just a test. 

What are emergency alerts?

Text reads ALERT with a red cross underneath

Emergency alerts warn you if there is danger near where you are. 

Two women look at a mobile phone. Behind them is a red box with a triangle warning symbol with text that reads UK Emergency Alert System.

The emergency alert will be sent to your mobile phone or tablet.

It will give you advice about how to stay safe. 

A man sits in an armchair and looks at his phone, above him is a red box with a triangle warning symbol with text that reads UK Emergency Alert System

The emergency alerts will send warnings about things like:

A house with water rising up to the door
  • bad flooding
Graphic of a red, yellow and orange flame.
  • fires
A woman holds her hand to her head. She looks hot and there is a graphic of the sun above her.
  • weather that can be dangerous for some people.
A mobile phone with the emergency alert test message on the screen.

When you get an emergency alert your mobile phone or tablet might: 

A mobile phone with red lines representing a loud sound coming out from either side of it
  • make a loud noise, even if it is set to silent
A mobile phone with lighter versions of the same phone and zig zag lines representing movement
  • vibrate
A mobile phone with a speech bubble reading the text from the screen
  • read out the alert.
Text reads 10 seconds with 10 red lines and 50 grey lines arranged in a circle

The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.

A mobile phone with an emergency alert message on the screen

You can see what the emergency alert looks and sounds like in this video.

A laptop computer with the word click on the screen.

You can learn more about the emergency alerts on the government's website.

Turning the emergency alerts off

A man points at a red cross on a board, with a green tick below it.

You can choose to not have the emergency alert messages come up on your phone or tablet. 

A mobile phone with Emergency Settings on the screen

To turn them off you need to find Emergency Alerts in your phone or tablet settings.

Close up of a mobile phone screen with a red box around emergency alert settings

Then turn off the severe alerts and extreme alerts.

A switched off mobile phone with a red cross over an emergency alert message

If your phone is switched off or does not connect to 4G or 5G networks you will not get the emergency alert message.

A woman sitting looking at her phone with an aeroplane image in a circle beside her.

If your phone is in aeroplane mode, you might not get the emergency alert message.

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First published April 2024.

Last updated 28/07/2025.

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