When is the UK Public Emergency Test happening?
A UK-wide test of the life-saving public Emergency Alerts system will take place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April 2023.
What is happening:
The test of the new Emergency Alerts system will see people receive a Message on 4G and 5G smartphones, along with sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds.
What will it look and sound like:
Watch the YouTube Video to see what the Emergency Alerts will look like. This is a UK wide test to enable urgent messages to be broadcast to a defined area when there is an imminent risk to life, such as wildfires or severe flooding.
What do I need to do?
For the test, the public do not need to take any action – the sound and vibration will stop automatically after ten seconds. All people need to do is swipe away the message or click ‘OK’ on their phone’s home screen – just like for a ‘low battery’ warning or notification – and continue to use their phone as normal.
You can find out further information on Emergency Alerts, including what they look and sound like at About Emergency Alerts – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
