You’re taking a stroll through the park on a sunny day, when suddenly, an emergency alert pops up your iPhone’s screen. Yikes. It might give you a little scare, but these notifications are sent out with vital information. So, if a hurricane starts sailing in your direction — your phone will give you a heads up.
While we’d probably recommend leaving emergency alerts on, you can choose to turn them off too. Here’s how…
Understanding your iPhone's Emergency Alerts
Having a smartphone on you can bring you peace of mind, especially as they can receive emergency alerts. These are sent out to people in areas affected by some kind of life-threatening emergency. Like flash flooding, tornadoes, or a terrorist attack.
Emergency alerts make a loud alarm-like noise and cause your phone to vibrate for around 10 seconds — to really grab your attention. They can also override things like your iPhone’s ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode to make sure you’re in the know.
Types of Emergency Alerts
The types of emergency alerts you’ll receive will depend on where you live. In England, severe weather events are relatively rare. This means that emergency alerts are only sent out in extreme circumstances.
But in areas that are prone to natural disasters like Japan, their government will often send out targeted ‘J-Alerts’ to notify citizens of serious weather conditions or earthquakes. In the US, ‘AMBER’ alerts are sent out to people in areas where a child has gone missing or been abducted. The Japanese and the US governments have used this tech for a while now, but it’s only just been rolled out in the UK.
How to disable Emergency Alerts on iPhone
If you’d like to disable emergency alerts on your Apple iPhone, here’s how to do it:
Open the Settings App (the gear icon) on your iPhone.
Tap on ‘Notifications’ about halfway down the screen.
Scroll right to the bottom of the Notifications menu to the ‘Emergency Alerts’ section.
Use the toggles on the right to turn ‘Emergency Alerts’ and ‘Severe Alerts’ on or off.*
*Tech tip: If you’re not in the UK, then you might see a few more options under the ‘Emergency/Government Alerts’ section. In the US, iPhones will have ‘AMBER Alerts’ and ‘Public Safety Alerts’ as well.
How do you mute Emergency Alerts on iPhone?
It’s important to receive emergency alerts on your iPhone. But their startling sound could make your heart jump out of your chest. So, just muting these alerts might be a happy medium.
Unfortunately, iPhone users in the UK can only turn ‘Extreme Alerts’ and ‘Severe Alerts’ on or off. There isn’t an in between. But if you’re in the US or another country, you might have a little more control over how these emergency alerts get delivered. This can depend on the version of iOS you’re using too.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Open the Settings App on your iPhone.
Tap on ‘Notifications’.
Scroll to the bottom and find the ‘Government Alerts’ section.
Tap on ‘Emergency Alerts’.
Slide the ‘Always Play Sound’ (or ‘Always Deliver’) toggle to off.*
*Tech tip: If your iPhone is not in silent mode, then you’ll still hear an alert sound even after you’ve turned ‘Always Play Sound’ off. This only applies when your iPhone is in silent mode. Things like ‘AMBER Alerts’ and ‘Public Safety Alerts’ can’t be muted.
FAQs
Can I customise which Emergency Alerts I receive and which I don't?
Yes, you can. Scroll to the bottom of the ‘Notifications’ menu in your iPhone’s Settings App to find the ‘Emergency/Government Alerts’ section. You can then toggle the types of alerts you want to receive on or off.
While not specific, ‘Severe Alerts’ will usually be weather-related emergencies like flash flooding or wildfires. While ‘Extreme Alerts’ will be related to national security incidents — like an incoming missile strike or a terrorist attack. In the US, ‘AMBER Alerts’ are sent out to notify people of a child that’s gone missing in their local area.
Is there a way to reduce the alert volume instead of turning them off?
You can’t reduce the volume of emergency alerts on your iPhone. You can only turn them on or off, but even this can depend on what your government allows. For example, in the US you can choose to mute ‘Emergency Alerts’ in your iPhone’s settings, but you’ll still receive the alert on your screen.
Any more questions?
We’ve got loads of ways to help you make the most of your iPhone. Why not check out our guide on how to take screenshots and screen recordings on your iPhone? Or maybe you want to give your handset a fresh look by learning how to change the wallpaper on your iPhone? You’ll find loads more iPhone tricks on TechTalk.
