Emergency alert to be sent to smartphones in UK test

The UK government has announced that it will conduct another test of its national emergency alert system for mobile phones this September. This system is designed to warn people about serious dangers, such as extreme weather or terror attacks, by sending a loud siren and a message to their smartphones. The test is scheduled for 3:00 PM on September 7, and it will cause compatible phones to vibrate and make a siren sound for 10 seconds, even if the phone is set to silent. The message will appear on the screen, letting people know that it is just a test.

The emergency alert system has already been used several times in different parts of the UK. For example, it was used to warn people in Scotland and Northern Ireland about Storm Eowyn in January 2025, and in England and Wales during Storm Darragh the month before. It also helped evacuate more than 10,000 people in Plymouth when a large World War Two bomb was discovered. The government says that testing the system is important, just like testing a fire alarm at home, so that everyone knows what to do in a real emergency.

However, there have been some problems with the system in the past. During a nationwide test in 2023, some people received the alert too early, while others did not get it at all. There were also issues with certain mobile networks, like Three, where many users did not receive the alert. The government says it has reviewed these problems and is working with phone companies to fix them. Still, some Members of Parliament are worried that the alert might not reach everyone, especially people without smartphones, those in rural areas, or people with no signal or battery. The government says that about 95 percent of the UK population is covered by 4G or 5G, and they are always trying to improve coverage.

Only smartphones on 4G or 5G networks will receive the alert. Older phones and those on 2G or 3G will not. Phones that are turned off or in airplane mode will also not get the message. There are also concerns about people who might be put at risk by the alert, such as victims of domestic abuse who have hidden phones. Charities have warned that the alert could reveal these phones to abusers. The government has provided advice for these people on how to turn off the alert for the test. Before the test, there will be a public information campaign to make sure everyone knows what is happening. This campaign will include information for vulnerable groups and will use British Sign Language to reach more people.