The UK-wide Emergency Alerts service is a new service that sends emergency alerts to mobile phones in a specific area during an emergency situation such as a terrorist attack or a severe weather warning. This service is designed to provide timely and accurate information to the public, helping to keep them safe and informed during emergency situations. National testing will be taking place on 23/04/23.
UK roaming sims commonly used in telecare devices should not be affected. Therefore, the Emergency Alerts service should not interfere with the operation of telecare devices, even if they use SIM cards.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that the Emergency Alerts service is designed to be a passive broadcast service that doesn’t require users to opt-in or actively participate.
It is important to note that the Emergency Alerts service is designed to work alongside other emergency communication channels, including emergency services, broadcast media, and local authorities. The service is not intended to replace these existing channels, but to supplement them and provide additional information to the public during emergency situations
For more information please visit – Launch of life-saving public emergency alerts – Gov
How to opt out on your mobile phone
For iPhone
To opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off ‘Severe alerts’ and ‘Emergency alerts.’ If this does not work, contact your device manufacturer.
For Android
To opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off ‘Severe alerts’ and ‘Emergency alerts’. On some devices, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off ‘Extreme threats’, ‘Severe threats’ and ‘Show amber alerts’.
Refuge’s tech team have put together information for survivors with an iPhone or Android on how to opt-out of the system. You can also find out more at gov.uk/alerts and on the Q&A document.