National Wireless Alert Wednesday — Which watches and settings are needed?

[Saturn007]

Tomorrow at 2:20 PM EDT in the U.S., there will be a test of the wireless national emergency alert system.

See, e.g., https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/02/tech/emergency-alert-wireless-test-fema-fcc/index.html

The media coverage has focused on cell phones and TVs, but what about our watches?

1. Will all cellular watches receive the alert, even if not on a carrier watch plan?

2. Will a cellular Apple Watch get the alert even if in Airplane Mode? With WiFi off?

3. Will a cellular AW get the alert if connected to WiFi, but not its paired iPhone?

4. What if that phone has never been activated with a cell carrier?

Curious if anyone knows. We plan on testing this with

1) our cellular Apple Watch SE that is paired to a non-activated iPhone SE and

2) our AW 7 that is paired to an activated iPhone SE without a watch plan.

Note: We've turned ON Test Alert on the paired iPhones. (Settings, Notifications, all the way to the bottom, alert settings.) Test Alerts are OFF by default. We've also synced our Watches with the Phones to update the watch's notification setting.

I believe that if you don't do that, you won't get the alerts.

 

[Saturn007]

It's now 1:52 pm on Wednesday…

I guess no one knows what's needed to receive alerts, eh?! (Or, no one cares enough to respond! 😁)

Oh, well. We'll find out here within the half hour.

I wonder if the alert is sent only once — hope not — or hope that it is queued for compatible devices once they are connected — that is, cellular or WiFi is turned on, Airplane Mode turned off, connected to their home base iPhone, or whatever other particular step(s) is (are) required!

 

[Jackbequickly]

If you turn off cellular and WiFi I doubt you will get the broadcast.
From what I understand, even if you have Emergency Broadcasts turned off, this one will come through.

Just a short time till we all know.

 

[MacNut]

You need a signal of some sort.

 

[Bichon]

It came to my watch. (one minute early)

 

[MacNut]

Haha 3 minutes early.

 

[onenorth]

I got the alert on my phone but not on my watch.

 

[MacNut]

I got the alert on my phone but not on my watch.

I got it on both.

 

[jz0309]

Got it on both, at the exact same moment.
It sounded like it triggered the siren on my Ultra 2, and, I do not have cellular enabled

 

[onenorth]

I got it on both.

I'm curious why I didn't. My phone was locked at the time so it should have come through to the watch. Wierd.

 

[MacNut]

I'm curious why I didn't. My phone was locked at the time so it should have come through to the watch. Wierd.

It would override the lock on the phone.

 

[onenorth]

It would override the lock on the phone.

Yes but that doesn't explain why the watch didn't also produce the alert.

 

[MacNut]

Yes but that doesn't explain why the watch didn't also produce the alert.

As long as it was getting a signal it should have pinged.

 

[jz0309]

I'm curious why I didn't. My phone was locked at the time so it should have come through to the watch. Wierd.

Do you have a cellular watch?

 

[onenorth]

As long as it was getting a signal it should have pinged.

I just got another alert and same thing, phone only. On my watch, Snoopy was having fun sliding down the hands.

 

[onenorth]

Do you have a cellular watch?

No GPS only S9.

 

[MacNut]

No GPS only S9.

It only hits cellular connected devices. A few iPads didn’t get it either.

 

[Bichon]

It only hits cellular connected devices. A few iPads didn’t get it either.

Interesting... My SS S9 got the ping even though I don't have a cellular plan on the watch, and the cell icon on the control center is dark. (which I thought, obviously incorrectly, meant that the cellular radio was turned off)

 

[jz0309]

No GPS only S9.

that's the answer

 

[jz0309]

Interesting... My SS S9 got the ping even though I don't have a cellular plan on the watch, and the cell icon on the control center is dark. (which I thought, obviously incorrectly, meant that the cellular radio was turned off)

yes, same situation here, but, since one can initiate 911 calls without the need of a cellular plan, I suppose this goes both ways, interesting and useful.

 

[onenorth]

It only hits cellular connected devices. A few iPads didn’t get it either.

that's the answer

Okay I guess that is why. For whatever reason.

 

[Saturn007]

Markedly different results here! Few devices produced an alert.

Apple Watch SE cellular in Airplane Mode -- no alert.

Apple Watch 7 cellular with Airplane Mode off, thus WiFi on -- no alert.

iPhone SE with cell service -- and cellular connection -- no alert.

iPhone SE that does not have cell service -- no alert. Once connected to WiFi, a BLARING alert.

Disappointed to say the least.

1. A cellular Apple Watch -- not a cell watch plan -- is supposed to be able to issue an Emergency SOS after a fall, so why can't it receive a National Wireless Emergency Alert? This should go both ways.

2. Why did the AW 7 with cell service, with a cell phone connection, not receive an alert?

Both of their paired phones have all emergency alerts turned on -- Settings, Notification, scroll to bottom and AMBER alerts, Emergency alerts (with "Always Play Sound" on), Public Safety alerts, and Test alerts all turned on!

3. Now I wonder if the cellular Apple Watches will even contact emergency services when needed!

 

[Jackbequickly]

It only hits cellular connected devices. A few iPads didn’t get it either.

My iPad, iPhone and Ultra 2 all went off at the same time 2 minutes early No cellular on iPad or Ultra 2

 

[onenorth]

According to this support document, the alerts on the watch mirror those on the phone. If the watch is connected to the phone, it should receive the alerts if they are turned on. Cellular watches can also receive alerts if they are not connected to the phone. But non-cellular watches should also receive alerts if connected to the phone or on the same WiFi network.

So it is unclear why my non-cellular S9 watch did not receive either of the two alerts my phone received yesterday. I was wearing my watch and my phone was locked and sitting beside me on the desk. Both the phone and watch are up to date on OS.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213331

 

[Jackbequickly]

According to this support document, the alerts on the watch mirror those on the phone. If the watch is connected to the phone, it should receive the alerts if they are turned on. Cellular watches can also receive alerts if they are not connected to the phone. But non-cellular watches should also receive alerts if connected to the phone or on the same WiFi network.

So it is unclear why my non-cellular S9 watch did not receive either of the two alerts my phone received yesterday. I was wearing my watch and my phone was locked and sitting beside me on the desk. Both the phone and watch are up to date on OS.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213331

‘And my iPad with no cellular?

It was also interesting how my iPhone and iPad made this particular alert noise. Seems our government has more control that we think.