First National UK Emergency Alerts Test Set for Today, But iPhones Won't Be Included in Testing Until Next Week

[MacRumors]

The U.K. government on Tuesday will perform its first national test of a new Emergency Alerts system, but only Android users will receive the alert, with iPhones to be included in a smaller, regional test later this month, the Cabinet Office has confirmed to MacRumors.

The government-issued emergency alerts, set to go live this summer, are part of a public safety system similar to one used in the U.S. that is designed to warn smartphone and tablet users if there's a danger to life nearby, with advice about how to stay safe. Alerts will be either national or localized depending on the threat level, and will be sent in cases of severe flooding, fires, explosions, terrorist incidents, and public health emergencies.

When an alert arrives, your phone or tablet may make a loud siren-like sound, even if it's set to silent, vibrate, or read out the alert. When an alert is received, the sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds, and some alerts may include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.

On Tuesday, the government and mobile phone networks are due to test the emergency alerts nationally for the first time, between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. local time. The first test will occur for Android devices only, while iPhones will be included in a test for the first time on Tuesday, 29 June, although the test will be localized in the Reading, Berkshire area.

Users can opt out of some emergency alerts, but not the most serious ones, says the U.K. government. Users can't opt out by subject, only by how serious the emergency is. If you opt out because you do not want flood warnings, for example, you might miss alerts for fires and terrorism. For this reason, the official advice is to keep emergency alerts switched on.

Emergency alerts work on iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later. The ability to opt-out appears on iPhones in Settings -> Notifications, under "Emergency Alerts," where there's a switch to disable "Severe Alerts."

Update: the U.K. government website has now been updated to clarify iPhone inclusion in the June 29 test.

Article Link: First National UK Emergency Alerts Test Set for Today, But iPhones Won't Be Included in Testing Until Next Week

 

[Reason077]

Who remembers the fake missile attack warning in Hawaii? THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

 

[AmazeSE]

So almost half of the people in the UK won't be getting the alert? Why are iPhone users excluded?

 

[JUiCEJamie]

Being from the UK; it's nice to see us getting on board with these alerts.

One extra alert every now and again isn't going to break the camels back is it - not with the sheer amount of other notifications we receive each day.

I was travelling in Canada once, and I received a notification about a child abduction in a city I was driving through. After speaking to a few locals in a bar later that night and doing some local news research, turns out the person at large was caught!!

I'm here for this!

[EDIT] Here's the Gov.uk release about this - https://www.gov.uk/alerts

 

[JUiCEJamie]

So almost half of the people in the UK won't be getting the alert? Why are iPhone users excluded?

Did you read the article? iOS users in Reading will be part of a test programme later this month.

About Emergency Alerts

Your mobile phone or tablet may get an emergency alert if there’s a danger to life nearby. Alerts tell you what to do to stay safe.

www.gov.uk

 

[Khedron]

Did you read the article?

Or even the last three words of the headline

 

[AmazeSE]

Did you read the article? iOS users in Reading will be part of a test programme later this month.

About Emergency Alerts

Your mobile phone or tablet may get an emergency alert if there’s a danger to life nearby. Alerts tell you what to do to stay safe.

www.gov.uk

Yes, I did read the article. Why is the alert for iPhone users restricted to a small region of the country. In Reading both iPhone and Android devices will receive the alert next week. While all UK Android users will receive the alert today but not iPhone users.

 

[ruka.snow]

This should be opt-in and not opt-out. The English government sent everyone in Scotland (outside their competency) a notification about Covid which is a devolved matter and should have been sent out by the Scottish government. No one opted in to receive that notification and no one has yet to have had any repercussions.

 

[Pezimak]

Considering the way Boris Johnson and his cabinet have handled Covid, it's probably more frightening to see an emergency alert knowing they are the ones handling it, as opposed to the disaster itself.
Still good to see the U.K. catching up to the 21st century.

 

[AmazeSE]

Or even the last three words of the headline

Yeah sometimes reading headlines are not enough. The whole article should be read before commenting.

 

[jurmous]

Strange that 14.5 is required. We already get these messages for years in the Netherlands. Every 6 months a test, and we encountered already some real ones surrounding big fires/smoke or once a terrorist on the loose to not leave buildings. The sound is pretty intense when wearing headphones....

 

[Murgatroyd]

No, what "it" is is watching the movie in real-time as the West gradually heats up to boil over the pot, or better yet they cooked US right the first time (THEY DID IT! WE DID! …, Yeah!) trying to cook US like

•|.
-

• |*
%#Gauls In Rome
lobsters in the pot. #deliciousClaws

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

Who remembers the fake missile attack warning in Hawaii? THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

Reminds me of this:

Original creator: on Reddit

 

[JUiCEJamie]

Yes, I did read the article. Why is the alert for iPhone users restricted to a small region of the country. In Reading both iPhone and Android devices will receive the alert next week. While all UK Android users will receive the alert today but not iPhone users.

Why? I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps there’s extra hurdles to climb with iOS/Apple sending these out?
Just like there’s different regulations and rules between both and Android and iOS.

There’s no join effort with Government Alerts in the way Exposure Tracking APIs had.

So haven’t to roll these out in a limited quantity on iOS makes total sense to me. What’s for sure is that it’s being rolled out. I don’t why you’re so hung up on the government rolling/trialing this out before mass adoption? It’s the right thing to do, no?

 

[AlexisV]

With the amount of faffing and confusion from the buffoon apparently running the country, I wouldn't be surprised to receive a flood warning telling me to get to lower ground. Before an imminent terrorist attack.

 

[saudor]

Being from the UK; it's nice to see us getting on board with these alerts.


I was travelling in Canada once, and I received a notification about a child abduction in a city I was driving through. After speaking to a few locals in a bar later that night and doing some local news research, turns out the person at large was caught!!

I'm here for this!

[EDIT] Here's the Gov.uk release about this - https://www.gov.uk/alerts

Yeah it's all fun and games until these alerts go off in English and then in french and regularly for updates in the middle of the night. In Canada, all alerts are sent at the highest level (e.g. presidential) so there's no opting out. Doesn't matter if you have chronic health issues - if there is a child abduction by their own parents 300 miles away, you're getting it no matter what (unless you connect to the 3G network or turn off the device)

and yeah we got a nuclear meltdown message too (accidental). Fun times.

 

[nicho]

Yeah it's all fun and games until these alerts go off in English and then in french and regularly for updates in the middle of the night. In Canada, all alerts are sent at the highest level (e.g. presidential) so there's no opting out. Doesn't matter if you have chronic health issues - if there is a child abduction by their own parents 300 miles away, you're getting it no matter what (unless you connect to the 3G network or turn off the device)

and yeah we got a nuclear meltdown message too (accidental). Fun times.

How long until someone is hiding from an attacker, and their location is revealed by warning message about said attacker...

 

[Yammabot]

So nearly all of the US has turned this off years ago because it’s more of a nuisance than anything. Why the UK is just getting around to implementing it? What for, Boris grams? Subliminal marketing? If you ask me it should be removed from the OS entirely.

 

[SurferPup]

Many annoying alerts are available on my Nokia phones. I switched them all off. If there is a Zombie apocalypse in USA I doubt a Presidential warning is relevant to me here in Australia. I became sick of my Government's fear inciting COVID warnings.

 

[mazz0]

Why is the alert for iPhone users restricted to a small region of the country

I don't know. Why is the Android alert going out nation-wide?

 

[mazz0]

So nearly all of the US has turned this off years ago

Where did you get figures for that?

 

[ruka.snow]

If there is a Zombie apocalypse in USA I doubt a Presidential warning is relevant to me here in Australia

If there was a zombie apocalypse you can bet people would be more worried about how to get to the beech to sunbathe than that their neighbour was eaten by a zombie.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

This should be opt-in and not opt-out. The English government sent everyone in Scotland (outside their competency) a notification about Covid which is a devolved matter and should have been sent out by the Scottish government. No one opted in to receive that notification and no one has yet to have had any repercussions.

I don't think there should be an opportunity to opt-out of these emergency alerts at all. If governments need to communicate an important message, everyone should be able to receive it. I'd support opting out of "non emergency" alerts though.

In addition, the Scottish government couldn't be trusted to run a bath - giving them access to a system like this would just be another avenue for Nippy to spread her bile.

 

[BvizioN]

As long as they don't keep pushing any Covid nonsense to my phone.

 

[ruka.snow]

I don't think there should be an opportunity to opt-out of these emergency alerts at all. If governments need to communicate an important message, everyone should be able to receive it. I'd support opting out of "non emergency" alerts though.

In addition, the Scottish government couldn't be trusted to run a bath - giving them access to a system like this would just be another avenue for Nippy to spread her bile.

I support these if they are provided by each countries government. I don't give a monkeys if there is a ballistic missile heading for London, or some Londoner is on a rampage killing other Londoners for whatever daft reason, that doesn't affect me in the slightest. I care about my own country. And even still, it should be opt in. When Covid started we were bombarded with notifications from both the Scottish government and then the English government repeating the same messages and sending out unsolicited text messages that they have still to apologise for nor have someone take responsibility with repercussions.