As you may have heard, FEMA and the FCC are conducting a nationwide test of the Public Alerts and Warning System today. As such, 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 alert will be sent out to every smartphone that is powered on and within range of a cellular tower.
Here are some quick facts as to the test:
- 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 Apple Watch units.
FMA has stated that 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 agency has also outlined the 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, tomorrow’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.
The test itself will run for 30 minutes, but you should only receive the alert on your iPhone a single time. Apple has stated that the sound that plays will be “similar to an alarm,” and will cause your device to vibrate.
While most alerts can be opted out of by opening up the Settings app to enable or disable government alerts, tomorrow’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.
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.
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).
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.