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What are Emergency Alerts?
This is a free UK government service that sends an alert to your phone or tablet with clear advice to help you stay safe if there’s a danger to life nearby. It’s designed to help us respond quickly and keep people informed in the event of an emergency.
Using trusted technology, we can send a message to a specific area – which could be as small as a local community or as wide as the whole country.
The service was successfully trialled in summer 2021 before being introduced across the UK. The next national test will take place on 7 September 2025.
An alert may be sent to your device in situations like:
Severe flooding
Fires
Explosions
Terrorist incidents
Public health emergencies
How do Emergency Alerts work?
Alerts are sent as a text-style broadcast from mobile masts in the area of an emergency, using 4G and 5G networks. They’re secure, free to receive and one-way only. They’ll never reveal your location or collect any personal data.
Find out more about how cell broadcasting helps keeps people safe.
When your device receives an alert, it may:
Make a loud sound – even if it’s on silent
Vibrate
Read the alert out loud
Give you a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information
What to do if you get an Emergency Alert
Emergency Alerts will only ever be sent by the emergency services or official government bodies responsible for handling emergencies.
Each alert will include details of the incident, the area affected and clear instructions on what you should do to stay safe. It may also provide ways to get more information.
If the alert is not part of a scheduled test, you should:
Read the message carefully
Follow the advice given
Use the phone number or link provided for further details
If you are driving, you should pull over somewhere safe before reading the message. If you are unable to pull over and you are alone in the vehicle, live radio may carry bulletins that will keep you informed until you can read the message.
Can all devices receive an Emergency Alert?
Most phones and tablets can receive Emergency Alerts. However, there are some situations where you may not get one when it’s sent. This could be because your device is:
Connected to a 2G or 3G network – alerts need 4G or 5G coverage
Not updated with the latest software or firmware
Not compatible with 4G or 5G
Switched off
In flight (aeroplane) mode
Out of range of a mast broadcasting the alert
How will I know if an alert is genuine?
Emergency Alerts can't be sent by the public. The messages will have a unique set of features that can't be replicated by a standard text. You can, however, verify if an alert is genuine by visiting the gov.uk website. It's also worth checking with friends, family or neighbours if they also received the alert.
Emergency Alert FAQs
Emergency Alerts will appear on your device’s home screen, and you’ll need to acknowledge them before you can use other features on your phone or tablet.
They look similar to a text message and will include phone numbers or website links where you can find more details.
To make sure you notice the alert, it’ll come with a loud, siren-like sound and a vibration, helping to raise awareness of the hazard or threat.
Your device can receive Emergency Alerts if it has the latest software installed. Most phones made from 2015 onwards are able to get the messages once updated.
Devices older than six years may need some changes to their settings to receive alerts.
Apple models before iPhone 6S (which don’t support iOS 14) and older Android devices like Android 9 (Pie), won’t be able to receive Emergency Alerts.
If you're unsure whether your phone can receive Emergency Alerts, you can contact us to check. Alternatively, you can follow these steps to see if your device is compatible and up to date with the latest software:
iPhone
Go to 'Settings'
Choose 'Notifications'
Turn on the 'Extreme and Severe Alerts' option
Samsung phones (Android 11+)
Go to 'Settings'
Search for "Emergency Alerts"
or
Choose 'Notifications'
Choose 'Advanced Settings'
Choose 'Emergency Alerts'
Samsung phones (Android 10 or older)
Go to the Messages app
Go to 'Settings'
Choose 'Emergency Alert settings'
Choose 'Emergency Alerts'
Other Android phones
Steps can vary by make and model. Usually, you can find the setting in Settings under Sounds, Wireless & Networks, or General Settings. Look for options named Emergency Alerts, Cell Broadcasts, or something similar.
Huawei phones
Go to 'Settings'
Search for "Emergency Alerts"
or
Choose 'Sounds & Vibration'
Choose 'More Settings'
Choose 'Cell Broadcasts'
Turn on the 'Emergency Alerts', 'Extreme Threats' and/or 'Severe Threats' options – depending on model
Emergency Alerts are just one way the government and emergency services will try to warn you of danger to life. Other ways are also available – including government websites, radio, TV, news websites and social media.
You can opt out from receiving Emergency Alerts – but we strongly advise that you don't opt out. Your device's settings may allow you to stop receiving test alerts. But it isn't possible to decide which type of emergency you receive alerts for. For example, you can't opt out of flooding alerts, but stay opted in for other scenarios.
Alerts will be sent in English. For alerts in Wales, the message may also be sent in Welsh too. For other languages, the government is currently exploring how to do this.
The gov.uk website has a list of current Emergency Alerts – as well as past alerts.
If you have a Boostbox configured at your location, please contact us to check that your device address details are correct.
Last updated: 21/08/2025
