Posted on: 2 September, 2025

A test of the Government’s Emergency Alerts system will cause all compatible mobile devices to vibrate and make a loud, siren-like sound on Sunday, 7 September 2025 at 3pm.

This system is used to warn people of nearby dangers, including extreme weather, and this alarm test is to ensure the system is functioning correctly.

The Government has advised the test alert will be sent to all compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones and compatible tablets across the UK, following a previous national test in April 2023.

Compatible devices include:

• iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later
• Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later

Earlier versions of Android may still be able to receive alerts

Other phones that do not run iOS or Android may also receive alerts.

It is recommended that emergency alerts remain switched on, unless it may cause a risk to your personal safety.

As a provider of Domestic Abuse services across the UK, Cranstoun is providing guidance to support people who may have hidden second phones for emergency use and safety purposes, for example victims/survivors of domestic abuse.

The alert poses a potential risk to safety as it will cause all compatible devices to make a loud sound for up to 10 seconds, as well as vibration.

Cranstoun has produced a video which demonstrates how people who are victims/survivors of domestic abuse can disable the emergency alert safely.

The only way to ensure the alert will not cause sound or vibration is to turn off the function in the device’s settings, the videos below outline how this can be done.

Here is Caitlin McCullough, Domestic Abuse Policy Lead at Cranstoun, demonstrating how to turn off emergency alerts on iPhones and Android devices.

Android:

iPhone:

Non-compatible devices:

The key guidance for people who are victims/survivors of domestic abuse is to turn off government alerts on hidden or secondary phones at the earliest opportunity ahead of the national test.

Once alerts have been disabled, other safety measures can include:

• Turning off data capability
• Switching phones and devices to airplane mode
• Switching off the phone during the alert period

If the alert hasn’t been disabled, it may make a sound as soon as the phone is turned on or airplane mode is turned off, this should not be done unless it is safe to do so.

This information should be shared with anyone who may be at risk during this emergency alert test, as reaching as many people as possible may help to keep victims/survivors safe.

You can see all information provided by the Government by following this link: gov.uk/alerts

Some relevant additional information sourced from government documents is provided below.

Reasons you will not get an alert

You will not receive alerts if your device is:

• Turned off or in airplane mode
• Connected to a 2G or 3G network
• Wifi only
• Not compatible

Opting out of emergency alerts

Guidance for those using iPhones:

• Go to your settings and select the ‘notifications’ menu.
• Scroll to the bottom.
• Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.

Guidance for those using Android phones and tablets:

• Search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
• Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.

Guidance for those using other mobile phones and tablets:

Depending on the manufacturer and software version of your phone, emergency alerts settings may be called different names, such as ‘wireless emergency alerts’ or ‘emergency broadcasts’.

The settings can usually be found in one of the following ways. Go to:

• ‘message’, then ‘message settings, then ‘wireless emergency alerts’, then ‘alert’
• ‘settings’, then ‘sounds’, then ‘advanced’, then ‘emergency broadcasts’
• ‘settings’, then ‘general settings’, then ‘emergency alerts’

Then turn off ‘severe alerts’, ‘extreme alerts’ and ‘test alerts’.