On Sunday 23rd April 2023, at 3pm, the government will be testing a new emergency alert system. The siren will go off on any phone that is on a 4G or 5G network, it will sound for 10 seconds, and will activate even if the phone is on silent.

Moving forwards, the system will be used to warn people of extreme weather events, such as floods and wildfires.

However, for anyone who is a survivor of domestic abuse and has a secret, or secondary phone, the alert could reveal the phone, putting the owner in danger.

The charity Refuge have put together a video with a demonstration of how to opt out, and silent the alerts. The video has subtitles, so can be watched silently, and gives a demonstration for both Android and IOS phones.

Refuge Video

Refuge Website