Emergency alert test on phones, Sunday 23rd at 3pm - how to disable it

[Dougella]

There is going to be an test of an emergency alert message that will come through on all phones tomorrow at 3pm. It will make a loud siren noise, even if the phone is on silent.

If you want to disable it, or help someone else to disable it so the noise doesn't happen here are instructions for how.

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...-on-your-phone

[Percy]

I'm actually looking forward to it.

[Dougella]

^^ Well that's good

I do wonder how it's going to be in the middle of a supermarket when everyone's phone starts going off.

[Percy]

Originally Posted by The Devil, Probably.

It's the highlight of some people's weekends.

That's how sad i am

[Merritt]

Aww, my phone wasn't on. What did it sound like?

[Merritt]

Oh wait, it's Saturday today isn't it...

[Dougella]

^ Yes it's tomorrow, you didn't miss it!

[anxiouslondoner]

I'm out of the country, so going to miss it.

[Mr. Nobody]

Kind of easy to just turn your phone off near the time,

I thought the government maybe imagined it was a good idea to prepare us all for Putin's sad little knee-jerk end game?

I suppose they need to piss away taxpayer's money somehow in another pointless scheme.?

[BFG_]

Prison inmates being transferred with a phone hidden in an intimate area at 3pm could be in for a shock.

[Dougella]

^ I hadn't even considered that hopefully they turn them off before they....hide them.

[Bambos]

I know this will make me jump out of my skin, I've some hypervigilance thing going on. On the other hand I am curious to see if it works/what the sound is like. It's a great opportunity for a bit of humour I think, a little clown horn or something.

[biscuits]

^ maybe it will be like the sound an iPhone makes for an emergency. I accidentally set my emergency off because I thought it was a feature to unlock your phone in an emergency without your face or passcode (e.g. to take a picture of your cat before she changes positions) but it's more useful - like sounding an alarm for help/assistance when you can't be heard.

Just turning your phone off just before 3pm is best if you have a reason to. It's better not to disable it because if it were to happen for real e.g. a flood or evacuation when you're asleep, you'd wanna be woken up! Remember to enable it if you do disable it.

[biscuits]

^ yes I imagine they're following other countries who have done the same. we are fortunate that we don't tend to have reasons to evacuate like in other countries. Although there are flood risks here and when it floods in those places it really floods. My uncle's house was completely ruined.

It is a pretty good way of finding out that you need to evacuate though in places where there are wild fires and floods.

It would be naive to think the government doesn't know every little detail about us already. I bet they know the colour of my pants today. I don't even know that information without looking.

[Dougella]

Well that was an anti climax.

[BFG_]

That wouldn't even wake me up.

[Rocket Spud]

Lol, i didn't even hear it. I'm in the kitchen cooking, they mentioned it on the radio, i was waiting for a sound.... heard nothing. Phones in the living room. Great system!

[Percy]

Is that it? I thought it would be louder

[Jen.]

I didn't even get anything.

[Merritt]

Me neither, worra swizz. If ever there's a monster on the loose I'll just die then, shall I.

[Captain Crunch]

Originally Posted by Jen.

I didn't even get anything.

Me neither. My phone was connected via WiFi and apparently the alerts only work via 4G or 5G.

[genovese]

You may have had alerts switched off in your settings

[Jen.]

My alerts are switched on and I'm on 4G. Apparently quite a few people just didn't receive it.

[Percy]

Originally Posted by Jen.

I didn't even get anything.

Aw, poor Jen

[genovese]

The alerts are for men only, because it's just the men who will be able to take charge and make decisions while the women go all hysterical.

[Rocket Spud]

I didn't get it because..

[Merritt]

Good to know that in the event of a national emergency, as long as I have emergency alerts switched on, and my phone isn't on vibrate only, and I'm not connected to wifi, and my network just feels like it that day, I'll receive an easily ignorable series of kazoo parps.

[anxiouslondoner]

I hope they arrange to have all emergencies at 3pm on a Sunday so I can be sure to set up my phone to receive the warning correctly.

[Blackflies]

I didn’t get the text so it’s official the government think I’m a second class citizen. There will be no priority Titanic lifeboat sent in good time for me. I was exited to receive it and be part of history (perhaps) but I then seemingly forgot all about it and was scrolling on my phone. Perhaps it doesn’t notify active users or maybe my phone is just past it. Was fairly inevitable there would be some set backs implementing something new (as Elon Musk is experiencing). Maybe I’ll get one at 1am mid sleep that will actually set some panic in me bones.

[Jen.]

I read some people got theirs up to an hour late, but it's been over three hours now and I still haven't got anything.

Oh well, I'll be wearing these flood pants 24/7 from now on then.