Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 13 Disabling emergency alerts on iPhone

Juan007

Juan007

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 14, 2010
782
937
This morning I was surprised to receive a test alert around 11:18 AM Pacific time. I have the following settings in "Notifications":

- Amber Alerts: OFF
- Emergency Alerts: OFF
- Public Safety Alerts: OFF
- Test Alerts: OFF

In spite of all of these settings, I still received the test alert.

What is the deal here, why aren't my settings taking effect? What do I need to do to eliminate these alerts once and for all?
 
  • Like
  • Angry
Reactions: BadBuoy, Shirasaki, Apple Fan 2008 and 1 other person
Juan007 said:
This morning I was surprised to receive a test alert around 11:18 AM Pacific time. I have the following settings in "Notifications":

- Amber Alerts: OFF
- Emergency Alerts: OFF
- Public Safety Alerts: OFF
- Test Alerts: OFF

In spite of all of these settings, I still received the test alert.

What is the deal here, why aren't my settings taking effect? What do I need to do to eliminate these alerts once and for all?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that test was pushed to everyone, regardless of settings. In general you shouldn't ever get one. Why that test got to ignore your settings, I dunno.
 
I had the alerts option turned on, but it was set to NOT make the audible tone… but it did anyway. Someone posted that the federal government basically has an override ability, and can send the alerts to everyone even if it’s disabled on their device.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Reggaenald, venom600 and Alex Cai
If there is a false alarm (like in Hawaii) -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If a hacker takes over the alert system and posts some phony alert -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If _______________ (insert least favorite politician here) abuses the alert system for political gain -- I WILL NOT want to get the alert.

Bottom line, I don't want to get these alerts. It's my phone, it's my decision, I checked "TEST ALERTS: OFF".
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Angry
Reactions: ZebraDude, Lyn2012, dukebound85 and 5 others
Juan007 said:
If there is a false alarm (like in Hawaii) -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If a hacker takes over the alert system and posts some phony alert -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If _______________ (insert least favorite politician here) abuses the alert system for political gain -- I WILL NOT want to get the alert.

Bottom line, I don't want to get these alerts. It's my phone, it's my decision, I checked "TEST ALERTS: OFF".
Click to expand...

You literally can't. I don't know the specifics, but my guess is it's some sort of federal law.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ZebraDude and Shirasaki
I live in a country where the govt's so cheap that that those alerts are pushed via SMS. So phone users do not get the warning pushed to all smartphone users within seconds of each other but for hours.

But as many pointed out that alert system can be abused for political or even commercial gain. I receive those alerts via SMS from a govt agency but it was promoting a f_ing film festival of very bad local movies.

I received a warning that an earthquake occurred but I received the SMS half a day after it happened.

My Android phone's earthquake alert warned me of an earthquake about a minute before I felt it. That's one feature I wish iPhone had even if it is outsourced to Google.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Shirasaki
Juan007 said:
If there is a false alarm (like in Hawaii) -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If a hacker takes over the alert system and posts some phony alert -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If _______________ (insert least favorite politician here) abuses the alert system for political gain -- I WILL NOT want to get the alert.

Bottom line, I don't want to get these alerts. It's my phone, it's my decision, I checked "TEST ALERTS: OFF".
Click to expand...


Wow.. and how often have you received these emergency notifications?
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: BugeyeSTI, Shirasaki and sack_peak
Juan007 said:
If there is a false alarm (like in Hawaii) -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If a hacker takes over the alert system and posts some phony alert -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If _______________ (insert least favorite politician here) abuses the alert system for political gain -- I WILL NOT want to get the alert.

Bottom line, I don't want to get these alerts. It's my phone, it's my decision, I checked "TEST ALERTS: OFF".
Click to expand...
You may be able to by pass it if you sourced your smartphone outside of the US like CN.

Then to add to that use a foreign SIM and go roaming in the US.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: ZebraDude and Shirasaki
What I did was I put my phone on airplane mode at 1 PM CST and when 1:18 PM came, my phone never went off. As long as your phone is on airplane mode even with just wifi it worked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sack_peak
Juan007 said:
This morning I was surprised to receive a test alert around 11:18 AM Pacific time. I have the following settings in "Notifications":

- Amber Alerts: OFF
- Emergency Alerts: OFF
- Public Safety Alerts: OFF
- Test Alerts: OFF

In spite of all of these settings, I still received the test alert.

What is the deal here, why aren't my settings taking effect? What do I need to do to eliminate these alerts once and for all?
Click to expand...
Yep, I had same settings as you. All were off, yet still received this pesky notification.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Apple Fan 2008
Juan007 said:
This morning I was surprised to receive a test alert around 11:18 AM Pacific time. I have the following settings in "Notifications":

- Amber Alerts: OFF
- Emergency Alerts: OFF
- Public Safety Alerts: OFF
- Test Alerts: OFF

In spite of all of these settings, I still received the test alert.

What is the deal here, why aren't my settings taking effect? What do I need to do to eliminate these alerts once and for all?
Click to expand...
Congress said you can’t opt out. Phone settings don’t matter For THIS particular type of national alert.

Blame Congress. You can and did opt out of amber alerts and other alerts with your settings.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Shirasaki and WarmWinterHat
caesarp said:
Congress said you can’t opt out. Phone settings don’t matter For THIS particular type of national alert.

Blame Congress. You can and did opt out of amber alerts and other alerts with your settings.
Click to expand...

Congress started the EBS in the mid 60s, and it's been updated since. There are specific laws on this. No one can opt-out, and carriers/phone manufacturers can't legally give you an option to do so.

These are are 60 year old laws, updated for cell phones. They aren't going anywhere.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sawah and Shirasaki
Apple_Tiger said:
It does but when you have airplane mode on regardless of wifi calling or not even with wifi turn on i did not get the test alert which is a good thing for me because i did not want my phone to go off.
Click to expand...
That's an interesting loophole.

I love my phone being silent with only family members and the top boss having audible rings.

All other persons and organizations can wait a few minutes until I check my phone.
 
I've seen a few warnings on websites today, that gave me pause.
There are quite a few people in violent, abusive relationships who keep an "extra" phone hidden away, in case of an emergency, and they were warned to turn those phones completely OFF before the alert went out. Being I didn't see any of those warnings until AFTER the actual alert went out, there were probably quite a few surprised, abusive husbands, fathers and partners who are quite angry now, or worse.
Damn, this makes me sick.
 
I didn’t get it. I have test alerts turned off but the others on. Does cellular have anything to do with it? I never have cellular on at home.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back