Public testing of the Emergency Alerts system
We wanted to share an update with you from the Government around the public testing of the Emergency Alerts system on Sunday 7 September.
Emergency Alerts is a UK government system that provides warning and advice to people in a life threatening emergency. They do this by sending an alert to mobile phones and tablets. In an emergency, mobile phone masts in the surrounding area will broadcast an alert. Every compatible mobile phone or tablet in range of a mast will receive the alert. Emergency alerts work on all 4G and 5G phone networks in the UK. To find out more about Emergency Alerts, click on the following link to visit the Government website: About Emergency Alerts - GOV.UK
You may get alerts about any type of life threatening emergency in your area, such as:
wildfires
severe flooding
extreme storms
What happens when you get an emergency alert
Your mobile phone or tablet may:
make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent
vibrate
read out the alert
The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
An alert will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.
What does the Public Test of the Emergency Alerts system involve?
The government will be carrying out a national test of the UK Emergency Alerts system on 7 September 2025 at 3pm.
The test alert will be sent to all compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones and compatible tablets across the UK.
Regular testing ensures the system is functioning correctly, should it be needed in an emergency. The test is not intended to alert you to real danger and you will not need to take any further action.
An emergency alert looks and sounds very different to other types of messages you might receive on your phone. You’ll hear a loud, siren-like sound and your phone or tablet will vibrate. If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have received the test.
This might cause distress for my child/young person. What can I do?
We know that many children and young people with SEND may be adversely affected this. The noise of the alarm could be overwhelming or frightening. If this is the case for your child or young person, you can opt out of the emergency alerts on their phones/tablets, including the national test. To learn more about opting out click on the following link: Opting out of emergency alerts - GOV.UK