The UK Government will soon be testing it’s phone emergency alert service again. At around 15:00pm on Sunday, 7th September 2025, mobile phones across the UK will receive a test Emergency Alert as part of efforts to improve the nation’s emergency readiness.

The Emergency Alerts system is designed to warn people of life-threatening situations, such as severe weather, by delivering urgent information and safety advice quickly.

During this test, phones will emit a loud siren-like sound and vibrate for about ten seconds, even if set to silent. A message will also appear on the screen, clearly stating that the alert is only a test.

More information can be found on the Government website: About Emergency Alerts – GOV.UK

For anyone who may be experiencing abuse with a secret or secondary phone, please follow the below instructions to opt out of the Emergency Alert System.

Steps for Android users:
1. Go to the settings app of the Android device
2. Search for ‘Emergency Alerts’ using the search bar at the top of the screen
3. Click or tap on the first option that pops up
4. Once in the device’s Emergency Alerts settings page, turn off Emergency Alerts by pressing all the toggle buttons (blue means on, grey means off)

Steps for Apple users:
1. Go to the settings app of the Apple device
2. Scroll down to find and click or tap on the ‘Notifications’ menu
3. Scroll all the way down again to find a dedicated section for Emergency Alerts
4. You will see ‘Extreme Alerts’ and ‘Severe Alerts’ buttons, but this sometimes varies depending on which iPhone or Apple device you are using.
5. To turn them off, press all the toggle buttons (blue means on, grey means off)