Public emergency alert - being sent to your phone

Public emergency alert - being sent to your phone

Author
Discussion

CoolHands

Original Poster:

18,625 posts

195 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
The government are going to send a test example of this new Public emergency alert to all mobile devices on Sunday 23 April.

Now, I’m a real moaner (surprise) so hear my complaint! - I don’t want their fking bullst alerts! Can you imagine, once they get settled in - amber alerts cos it’s fking warm outside etc. water is wet springs to mind. I deliberately avoid most of the bks weather reports, now I won’t be able to deny them.

“ Messages would only ever come from the government or emergency services and will initially focus on the most serious weather-related events,”

“Phone users will have to acknowledge the alert before they can use other features on their devices”

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/launch-of-life-...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64999417


timbo999

1,293 posts

255 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
Calm down and read the details:

How can I unsubscribe from emergency alerts?
You can opt out of the emergency alerts system in your phone’s settings, just search for
“emergency alerts", and turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’. You will not receive
alerts if your device is turned off or in airplane mode. However, these alerts are potentially
life-saving so we recommend you keep them switched on

juice

8,533 posts

282 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
It's all about Aliens... yes

CoolHands

Original Poster:

18,625 posts

195 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
Ah
getmecoat

Edit I can’t find the settings in iPhone - can anyone else?

Edt edit it’s here

Go to Settings > Notifications.
Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
Under Government Alerts, turn the type of alert on or off.

Edited by CoolHands on Sunday 19th March 12:45

voyds9

8,488 posts

283 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
timbo999 said:
Calm down and read the details:

How can I unsubscribe from emergency alerts?
You can opt out of the emergency alerts system in your phone’s settings, just search for
“emergency alerts", and turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’. You will not receive
alerts if your device is turned off or in airplane mode. However, these alerts are potentially
life-saving so we recommend you keep them switched on
Thanks. But dear government stop catering to the lowest common denominator.
I don't want to hear about potentially life saving
As CoolHands says we will soon be getting texts because it's raining.

I'm happy to get messages for likely to be life saving. Things like biblical floods, earthquakes, meteor crashes, zombie attacks

bitchstewie

51,202 posts

210 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
Is there anything people won't lose their st about? hehe

Halmyre

11,193 posts

139 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
Bit early for April Fool's Day?

I want my emergency alerts delivered by him:


voyds9

8,488 posts

283 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
bhstewie said:
Is there anything people won't lose their st about? hehe
I agree it's terrible the governments losing it's collective mind because the skies get dark

Biggy Stardust

6,857 posts

44 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
bhstewie said:
Is there anything people won't lose their st about? hehe
How about they just leave us alone unless we specifically opt in for whatever crap they're wanting to push upon us each time?

h0b0

7,591 posts

196 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
We have had this in the states for years.

What could possibly go wrong?

Hawaii false alarm

Then there was this when Trump wanted to use the system,





However, 99% of alerts relate to weather that cause an immediate threat. I’ve been in super markets when everyone’s phone (except mine) goes off and seconds later the building is battered by a massive storm.

I think it can be useful if used appropriately. I have them turned off though

W124Bob

1,745 posts

175 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
I've just turned it all off, of cause being British we would jut go and put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea.

andy43

9,705 posts

254 months

wibble cb

3,605 posts

207 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
We have them here in Canada, you can’t unsubscribe either, so if you’re watching TV , it’s cuts into the program , and your phone will at minimum light up..I get why they send them, sometimes it’s children that are at risk , rather than about the weather’,.

timbo999

1,293 posts

255 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
CoolHands said:
Ah
getmecoat

Edit I can’t find the settings in iPhone - can anyone else?

Edited by CoolHands on Sunday 19th March 12:40
On my iphone its setting->notifications - they're right at the bottom under 'Emergency Alerts'.

I'll have a look on Mrs T's 'droid phone, but I would guess its in a similar location.

Ari

19,347 posts

215 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
Had this happen once in America. We were in Miami having dinner with friends, suddenly all our phones went off with an alert about a child who had been snatched with a description of the car and the person. Assuming it had only just happened, that's a great way of immediately having all eyes looking for the kidnapper!

Starfighter

4,926 posts

178 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
I have had them in the USA for tornados whilst travelling through the mid-west.

voyds9

8,488 posts

283 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
EmailAddress said:
voyds9 said:
I'm happy to get messages for likely to be life saving. Things like biblical floods, earthquakes, meteor crashes, zombie attacks
The whole thing is an oxymoron.

If I can do something about it, it's not important enough to be nominated as an emergency or to be big brother-busting alerted by the government's grubby little paws into my device.

If it is an actual emergency, what the actual fk am I going to do about it!

I'd rather live in ignorance of the apocalypse. It's not like I can even give the Post Mistress a quick knobbing for the end of the World in our last five minutes on Earth as the nearest Post Office is a 15minute drive away.
Oh I don't know, if I got the 4 minute warning of impending nuclear attack I'd soft boil an egg

colin_p

4,503 posts

212 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
Brilliant idea, brings back a bit of nostalgia for the Cold War, in particular the 80's. Everyone knew it could kick off, but nobody cared.

It would be brilliant if your phone made an air raid siren noise when one of these alerts land, and then started playing Two Tribes by Frankie goes to Hollywood (which has the air raid siren intro built in). When the alert status when back to normal, they could inform us by playing Relax by travelling Frankie & co. too.

"WARNING: the sun has got his hat on, so should you and some factor 50, hip hip hooray"

"WARNING: some girls are bigger than others and some girls mothers are bigger than other girls mothers"

"WARNING: may contain nuts"

"WARNING: always read the label"

"WARNING: a gamma ray burst has been detected and all life on earth will end in sixteen minutes"

"WARNING: can you hear, can you hear the thunder, you'd better run, you'd better take cover"

"WARNING: love is a battlefield"



andy43

9,705 posts

254 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
voyds9 said:
EmailAddress said:
voyds9 said:
I'm happy to get messages for likely to be life saving. Things like biblical floods, earthquakes, meteor crashes, zombie attacks
The whole thing is an oxymoron.

If I can do something about it, it's not important enough to be nominated as an emergency or to be big brother-busting alerted by the government's grubby little paws into my device.

If it is an actual emergency, what the actual fk am I going to do about it!

I'd rather live in ignorance of the apocalypse. It's not like I can even give the Post Mistress a quick knobbing for the end of the World in our last five minutes on Earth as the nearest Post Office is a 15minute drive away.
Oh I don't know, if I got the 4 minute warning of impending nuclear attack I'd soft boil an egg
If Putin’s involved you could probably slow roast an ox…

johnboy1975

8,393 posts

108 months

Sunday 19th March 2023
quotequote all
Turned it off. No biggie

Kinda defeats the object though, no? If this alert is so important that 68m people have to have it, surely I shouldn't be able to? If it's warning me of a bit of rain, I can look out the window

How much tinfoil is required to link this to escalating tensions with China or Russia? Or even meteorites? (Separate Daily Mail thread running) spin