Why Did I Receive an Emergency Alert Notification on My Phone Today
That blaring noise you heard? It was a test of the federal government’s emergency alert system
WASHINGTON (AP) — “THIS IS A TEST”: If you have a cellphone or were watching television Wednesday, you should have seen that message flash across your screen as the federal government tested its emergency alert system used to tell people about emergencies.
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System sends out messages via the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.
The Emergency Alert System is a national public warning system that’s designed to allow the president to speak to the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency via specific outlets such as radio and television. And Wireless Emergency Alerts are short messages — 360 characters or less — that go to mobile phones to alert their owner to important information.
While these types of alerts are frequently used in targeted areas to alert people in the area to things like tornadoes, Wednesday’s test was done across the country.
Antwane Johnson, the director of FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System which conducted the test, said afterward that he’s confident the test performed as expected but that the government would gather and analyze data in the coming weeks to assess how it went. He estimated hundreds of millions of people received Wednesday’s message.
FEMA spokesman Jeremy Edwards said after the test was done that people have every right to turn their phones off to avoid the test but the organization hopes that after the test is done they make sure they turn their alerts back on because it’s designed to make sure people can be reached in an emergency.
People on social media also suggested turning off phones for other reasons, such as not disturbing students and teachers in classrooms or children during naptimes at day care. At the White House, messages taped to chairs in the press briefing room asked members of the media to turn off their cellphones during the daily briefing.
Not everyone did.
Shortly before 2:20 p.m., journalists’ and staff’s phones began buzzing in the briefing room.
“Oh! There we go,” said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. After joking that the briefing was over, she added: “It works. Every couple of years, folks.”
Alarms continued to sporadically go off for a few minutes afterward.
The test also sparked discussion about how it could affect people in abusive situations. Some people in abusive situations have secret cellphones — usually with notifications muted — hidden from their abuser that allow them to keep contact with the outside world. Organizations that work with abuse survivors recommended they turn off their phones entirely during the 30-minute-long test Wednesday so as to not have the blaring noise give away to their abuser the fact that they have a secret phone.
Johnson said he’d already received reports from across the country of people who’d received the alerts including from colleagues at a conference for emergency managers in Tennessee. From where he observed the test, Johnson said he saw the entire map “light up.”
“I am totally elated,” he said.
The test was slated to start at at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, although some phones started blaring just a few minutes before that. Wireless phone customers in the United States whose phones were on got a message saying: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” The incoming message also made a loud noise.
Customers whose phones were set to the Spanish language should have gotten the message in Spanish.
The test is conducted over a 30-minute window, although mobile phone owners should only get the message once. If their phones were turned off at 2:20 p.m. and then turned on in the next 30 minutes, they should have gotten the message when they turned their phones back on. If they turn their phones on after the 30 minutes have expired they should not get the message.
The message also went to people watching broadcast or cable television or listening to the radio. That messages said: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
Federal law requires the systems be tested at least once every three years. The last nationwide test was Aug. 11, 2021.
The test has spurred falsehoods on social media that it’s part of a plot to send a signal to cellphones nationwide to activate nanoparticles such as graphene oxide that have been introduced into people’s bodies. Experts and FEMA officials have dismissed those claims, but some social media users said they planned to shut off their cellphones Wednesday. source
Your iPhone receive an emergency alert from FEMA today, and you can’t opt out
As you’ve probably heard by now, FEMA and the FCC are conducting a nationwide test of the Public Alert and Warning System in the United States today, October 4. This means that your iPhone will sound off with an emergency alert at around 2:20 p.m. ET/11:20 a.m. PT.
FEMA is required to conduct these national tests of the Public Alert and Warning System at least once every three years. The last national test was conducted back in 2021.
The quick facts about today’s national emergency alert test
- The alert will be sent on October 4 between 2:20 pm ET and 2:50 pm ET.
- The alert will be sent to every smartphone that is powered on and within range of a cellular tower.
- You can’t opt out of the test.
- The alert will cause your iPhone to vibrate and emit a sound similar to a siren.
- The notification message will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
- The alert will also appear on your Apple Watch.
More details
FEMA has the details of the test on its website. The goal is to ensure that the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and Emergency Alert System (EAS) are properly functioning in the United States. FEMA and the FCC want to make sure those systems “continue to be effective ways to warn the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.”
The notification is sent to smartphones via the WEA system. FEMA outlines there are multiple types of alerts that could be sent in an emergency situation:
- Presidential Alerts are a special class of alerts only sent during a national emergency.
- Imminent Threat Alerts include natural or human-made disasters, extreme weather, active shooters, and other threatening emergencies that are current or emerging.
- Public Safety Alerts contain information about a threat that may not be imminent or after an imminent threat has occurred. Public safety alerts are less severe than imminent threat alerts.
- America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alerts are urgent bulletins issued in child-abduction cases. Rapid and effective public alerts often play a crucial role in returning a missing child safely. An AMBER Alert instantly enables the entire community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of the child.
Again, today’s alert is only a test, and the message that shows up on your iPhone will make it clear that it’s only a test. “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed,” the notification will read.
You’ll receive this alert on your iPhone, so long as it is powered on and within range of a participating wireless provider’s cell tower. The test will run for 30 minutes, but you should only receive the alert on your iPhone once.
The sound that plays from your iPhone will be “similar to an alarm,” according to Apple, and will also cause your iPhone and Apple Watch to vibrate. If you’ve ever received an AMBER alert or severe weather alert, today’s notification will be identical to that.
Can you opt out of the emergency alert national test?
While iOS offers an option in the Settings app to enable or disable government alerts, today’s alert will override that setting.
“Recent models of mobile phones may include a setting to opt out of tests and alerts. None of those settings will affect the 2023 national test. If your mobile phone is on and receiving service from a participating wireless provider, you should receive the national test,” FEMA says.
Notably, this is different than the national test conducted by FEMA in 2021, which allowed users to opt out of the test via their iPhone’s settings. FEMA does clarify that the national test will not interrupt a phone call.
The only way to not receive this emergency alert on your iPhone is to have the device completely powered off during the 30-minute window of the test. And there are some legitimate reasons as to why you might want to do this. “If anybody reading this has a second phone that you keep hidden from abusers, please turn that second phone off during the test so your abuser will not find out about it accidentally,” one user on Reddit explains.
In addition to the alert on your iPhone, FEMA will also broadcast the alert via radio and TV networks. These notifications are sent via the Emergency Alert System (EAS).
And before you even consider asking the question in the comments, you can ignore all of the crazy conspiracy theories that are already making the rounds on Twitter. No, this test has nothing to do with subjecting us all to 5G radiation. No, this test has nothing to do with any sort of vaccine. Just stop.
My colleague Arin described it best: “The world’s largest group chat.”
Emergency alert test: Why your phone may not have gotten the alarm
Federal law requires the National Wireless Emergency Alerts system be tested at least once every three years.
WASHINGTON — If you have a cellphone, the message “THIS IS A TEST” likely flashed across your screen on Wednesday at approximately 2:20 p.m. Eastern (or closer to 2:18 p.m. Eastern) as part of the federal government’s test of its emergency alert system.
But what if you didn’t get that test on your cellphone?
According to FEMA, there are a number of reasons why you may not have received the national test.
Why did I not get the emergency alert?
One of the big reasons is that your phone may not be a Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) -compatible mobile device. While most newer phones are compatible, some older devices are not. Cellphone providers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and more typically list online which WEA-compatible phones they offer.
Another reason you may not have gotten the alert was that your phone was off at the time, on airplane mode or not within the range of an active cell tower at the time.
According to FEMA, the national test would also not interrupt a phone call.
The test was conducted over a 30-minute window starting around 2:20 p.m., although mobile phone owners would only get the message once. So if your phone was turned off at 2:20 p.m. and then turned on in the next 30 minutes, the message would have appeared when the phone is turned back on. If you turn your phones on after the 30 minutes have expired, you won’t get the message.
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System sends out messages via the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. Federal law requires the systems be tested at least once every three years. The last nationwide test was Aug. 11, 2021.
Ahead of Wednesday’s test, people suggested turning off phones to avoid disturbing students and teachers in classrooms or children during naptimes at day care. At the White House, messages taped to chairs in the press briefing room asked members of the media to turn off their cellphones.The test has also sparked discussion about how it could affect people in abusive situations. Some people in abusive situations have secret cellphones — usually with notifications muted — hidden from their abuser that allow them to keep contact with the outside world. Organizations that work with survivors of abuse are recommending they turn off their phones entirely during the 30-minute-long test Wednesday so as to not have the blaring noise give away to their abuser the fact that they have a secret phone. source
Emergency alert systems being tested on cellphones, TVs and radios across nation Wednesday
(Gray News) – Federal agencies will broadcast a message to cellphones, televisions and radios across the U.S. Wednesday to test the nation’s emergency alert systems.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, is scheduled to conduct a nationwide test of two alert systems – the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system – starting at 2:20 p.m. ET Oct. 4.
The purpose of the two-part test “is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level,” FEMA said in a news release in August.
For the EAS portion of the test, FEMA will send an emergency alert test message to televisions and radios lasting around one minute, saying: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
For the WEA portion, cellphones in range of cell towers will receive a message reading: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
FEMA said the message will read in English or Spanish, depending on language settings on the phone, and to “help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.”
FEMA said cell towers will broadcast the test for around 30 minutes, but all wireless phones should receive the message only once.
In case the test is postponed because of an actual widespread emergency during the testing timeframe, FEMA said it will reschedule the test for Oct. 11. source
Did your cell phone make a screeching noise today? Here’s why
Today was the day for the US government’s big emergency alert drill, which sent a test message to every TV, radio and cell phone in the nation.
Starting at approximately 2:20 pm ET on Wednesday, the federal government began conducting a nationwide test of its Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The EAS portion of the test sent an emergency alert to all radios and televisions, while the WEA portion of the drill sent an alert to all consumer cell phones.
The test was being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in coordination with the Federal Communication Commission. Its purpose was to ensure that the systems in place continue to be an effective means of warning the public about emergencies at a national level.
Essentially, what this means is that hundreds of millions of cell phones around the country made a screeching alert noise at approximately the same time today, beginning around 2:20 pm ET. Radio and TV stations also blared a test alert at around the same time. But there was no action required from you after receiving the free message — it was just a test.
Here are answers to all of your burning questions about today’s emergency alert test.
Can I opt-out of this test on my cell phone?
While some recent models of mobile phones may include a setting to opt-out of tests and alerts, none of these settings will affect the 2023 national test, FEMA has said.
That means if your mobile phone was on and receiving service from a participating wireless provider, you will likely received the national Wireless Emergency Alert test, the agency added.
There are, however, three conditions which would prevent the cell phone alert from getting delivered to a device. If your phone is turned off, has airplane mode switched on, or is not connected or associated with a cell tower, then it did not receive the message.
What if I have a phone that I am trying to keep secret?
Survivors of domestic violence and people in abusive relationships often have a secret or emergency phone that they don’t want their partner or others to know about. On a call with reporters Tuesday, a senior FEMA official said the agency was aware of these concerns stemming from survivors of domestic violence and their allies. The official recommended that people who do not want a secret phone to be revealed to turn their phone completely off ahead of the 2:20 pm ET test — and not to turn it back on for thirty minutes, or until after 2:50 pm ET.
If you wanted to be cautious, you could also wait until you are in a safe place before turning your phone back on.
Won’t this disrupt schools?
Educators are braced themselves for some disruption this afternoon, as the test impacting cell phones occurred during school hours for most of the country.
On the call with reporters, the senior FEMA official recommended that educators, as much as possible, try to use this as a teaching opportunity about federal emergency management and preparedness initiatives.
Will this impact my privacy?
The national test cannot be used to monitor, locate or lock your phone, FEMA has said. The test is also using broadcast technology and does not collect any of your data.
What will the alert say?
All cell phones should have received an alert and an accompanying text message that reads: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The free text message was sent in either English or Spanish, depending on the language settings of your device. The text was accompanied by a unique tone and vibration that is meant to make the alert accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, FEMA has said.
The test was broadcast by cell towers for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 2:20 pm ET, FEMA said. During this time, all compatible wireless phones that were switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless providers participates in WEA tests should have received the text message.
Although the test will be transmitting for approximately 30 minutes, you should only have received the alert message once.
Meanwhile, all radios and televisions also broadcast a test emergency alert at the same time as part of the broader test. This message, which ran for approximately one minute, stated: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
Can the emergency alert impact my body?
In short: No. There are a number of false claims circulating online with regard to the test alert, including some conspiracy theories that incorrectly allege the sound emitted as part of the national test can impact your body at the cellular level. This is false.
“FEMA is not aware of any adverse health effects caused by the audio signal,” the agency has stated.
And while this is a national test, it uses the same technology and infrastructure that state and local authorities rely on to send localized Amber Alerts or extreme weather warnings, a senior FEMA official emphasized to reporters on Tuesday. In a frequently asked question sheet released by FEMA ahead of Wednesday’s test, the agency stated: “The audio signal that will be used in the National Test is the same combination of audio tones that has been used since 1963 in the original Emergency Broadcast System.”
Why didn’t I receive an emergency alert on my phone?
If you have a mobile phone that was switched on, not on airplane mode, within range of an active cell tower and on a network where wireless providers participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts then you should have received the test message on Wednesday afternoon by 2:50 pm ET.
If you are trying to figure out why you did not receive an alert when you should have, or have any other feedback on the test, members of the public can write to the email address: FEMA-National-Test@fema.dhs.gov. source
What was that noise? FEMA, FCC emergency alert test jolts devices nationwide
Millions of cell phones, TVs and radios in the United States blared distinctive emergency alert tones for about a minute at 2:18 p.m. EDT Wednesday, followed by the message: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The test went off without a hitch – to cell phones at 2:18 p.m. EDT and to television and radio stations at 2:20 p.m. EDT.
“The test went extremely well,” said Antwane Johnson, acting deputy assistant administrator for FEMA’s National Continuity Programs Directorate. “Every phone lit up in the room.”
It also happened in the White House briefing room, where phones began ringing out the warning tone at 2:18 p.m. just as White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was in the middle of a briefing about aid to Ukraine.
“There you go,” she said as reporters waited for their phones to quiet so the briefing could continue. “It works.”
The alert was the first Nationwide Emergency Alert Test since 2018. It was intended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission to alert all Americans across all time zones at once in the event of a national calamity.
This is an exceedingly important point. The only way not to have this sound is for the phone to be off. Not “silent mode”, not volume turned down. OFF. If you have a phone that for whatever reason must be kept secret, turn it OFF.
For some it is a matter of survival.