Every phone in UK to get emergency alert this week

Millions of UK phones are set to sound the alarm this weekend

The test is due to take place at 3pm on Sunday, 7 September, with the alert being sent to most compatible phones and tablets across the UK. When it arrives, devices will vibrate and play a loud siren-style sound for roughly 10 seconds, regardless of whether they have been set to silent.

The notification itself will make it clear that this is only a test, so there is nothing people need to do when they receive it. The loud alert and silent-mode override are both built into the system to make sure warnings are not easily missed if a serious emergency ever occurs.

Why officials keep testing the UK’s emergency alert system

Emergency Alerts are designed for situations where there is a serious and immediate risk to people’s lives, with previous warnings covering events such as major flooding, severe storms and wildfires.

Carrying out regular tests helps officials check that the system is functioning properly and that alerts can be delivered to as many people as possible. 

The system has already been used for genuine warnings since its first nationwide test in April 2023. So far, five real alerts have been issued during major storms when authorities believed there was a genuine danger to life.