In The News
National Emergency Phone Alert
Apr
National Emergency Phone Alert.
At 3pm this Sunday, 23rd April, there will be a National Emergency Phone Alert. A text message will appear on your phone alongside a loud alarm. This will continue for 10 seconds.
The text will say:
“This is a test of Emergency Alerts. A new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.
“In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
“This is a test. You do not need to take any action.”
The alert will sound even if devices are on silent.
You will need to click “OK” on the home screen or swipe away from the message before being able to continue using the device.
From a safeguarding perspective, anyone in a ‘vulnerable’ position can either turn off emergency alerts in their settings or simply have the device switched off during the test.
Phone owners are advised to be wary of messages from anyone asking for remote access to the mobile phone or other devices.
The government have stressed that any requests for personal or financial information through text message, email or by telephone claiming to be related to the test would be bogus.