Keep yourself and your loved ones safe with real-time emergency alerts delivered right to your phone
Whether it’s tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes or just bad storms, inclement weather is an ever-present danger no matter where you live. But gone are the days when you had to be glued to the TV to stay up-to-date on the weather, only to be left in the dark (quite literally) if the power cuts out. Today, you can have emergency alerts delivered to you right on your iPhone or Android device so you can stay in the know at all times.
This is more than a mere convenience of the smartphone age. Real-time emergency alerts can be a lifesaver, and you can easily enable them right on your iOS or Android smartphone. Keep reading, and we’ll show you how.
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Why should you turn on emergency alerts?
The main advantage of enabling emergency alerts on iPhone or Android is time. Rather than having to rely on a TV or radio news report, which could be delayed or occur while you are asleep, a smartphone alert can warn you as soon as an alert is issued. This can give you extra minutes or even longer to react, get to safety or warn others.
Even in less serious situations, such as a run-of-the-mill thunderstorm, emergency alerts can still come in handy. They’re especially useful for frequent travelers and commuters. For example, mobile alerts can give you a head start on adjusting your plans before you head to the airport or train station, potentially helping you avoid frustrating and time-wasting delays.
Last, it’s undeniably convenient to have these alerts come right to you as soon as the information is available. With so many people on the go nowadays, our phones are often our primary means of receiving news and other communications. No longer do you need to actively check the TV or scroll the web to find the news. With emergency alerts enabled on your phone, you’ll be notified right away if something happens (or is about to happen) in your location.
What type of emergencies trigger an alert?
When you think of emergency alerts on your iPhone or Android device, you probably imagine a weather event, such as a hurricane or natural disaster. Emergencies aren’t limited to just the weather, but it’s still the most common alert you’re likely to receive. Weather events that can trigger an emergency alert include watches and warnings for:
- Thunderstorms
- Tornadoes
- Hurricanes
- Blizzards
- Flash floods
- Wildfires
- Earthquakes
- Severe storms
- Tsunamis
- Extreme heat waves
You may also receive a non-weather-related emergency alert, such as an AMBER Alert or a Silver Alert. The AMBER Alert system was created in 1996 as a way to send out public warnings about child abductions, while Silver Alerts are sent for missing older adults, usually a senior citizen with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Other human-caused threats that can trigger emergency alerts on your phone include things like active shooters or chemical spills. Last, and most rare, are Presidential Alerts, which are issued in the event of a national emergency. Unlike other alerts, however, Presidential Alerts cannot be disabled.
How do emergency alerts work?
Emergency alerts come from official government channels and are broadcast via standard cell towers in your geographic location. This setup ensures that you’ll receive alerts relevant to your current location, regardless of where your home is. Alerts can also target differently sized areas, from single neighborhoods to entire states or regions.
Weather-related emergency alerts on your iPhone or Android device come from the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system operated by the National Weather Service. Other government organizations, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are also involved. For instance, FEMA operates the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), through which all emergency alerts are authenticated before being sent out.
Regional public safety notices and AMBER and Silver Alerts, on the other hand, are typically handled by state and local government offices and law enforcement agencies. Nationwide alerts, such as in the case of national emergencies, are managed by the president’s office or FEMA.
Emergency alerts come directly from cell towers and do not rely on SMS or text messaging. That means you don’t need to worry about missing an alert due to your text messaging plan limits. They also override other cellular traffic, so alerts won’t be stopped or delayed by a congested or overloaded network.
How do you turn on emergency alerts on an iPhone?
Emergency alerts are enabled by default on your iPhone. However, if yours were previously disabled, or if you just want to know how to enable them yourself, simply follow these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and open Notifications.
- Scroll all the way down to the Government Alerts section.
- Enable (or disable) alerts of your choosing.
The iPhone separates alerts into AMBER Alerts, Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts and Test Alerts, allowing you to choose which notifications you want to receive. After enabling Emergency Alerts on iPhone, the “Local Awareness” toggle will appear. We suggest toggling it on, as this can increase the timeliness and accuracy of alerts relevant to your geographic location.
How do you turn on emergency alerts on Android?
Turning on emergency alerts on Android is similarly straightforward, although the process may vary depending on your smartphone brand or Android version. Here are the basic steps:
- Open Settings.
- Find and open Wireless Emergency Alerts. Depending on your Android version, this may be in the Connections, Safety & Emergency or Notifications menu.
- Toggle on Allow Alerts.
- Select which emergency alerts you want to receive.
If you’re having trouble finding Wireless Emergency Alerts on your Android phone, try typing it into the search bar in the Settings app. As with iPhones, Android lets you enable or disable different types of emergency alerts.
What other emergency alert apps should you consider installing on your phone?
There are also third-party apps that can supplement the official Wireless Emergency Alerts system. These services can give you additional details about dangers in your area, instructions on how to prepare or visual information (such as maps, weather radar or nearby shelter locations).
If you’re traveling or are concerned about threats in your area, here are a few third-party apps to consider installing on your phone:
- FEMA app: Along with real-time weather and disaster alerts, the official app for FEMA allows you to track multiple locations (not just your current one), offers preparedness info and can help you find nearby shelters and aid centers.
- Storm Shield: The Storm Shield app can provide severe weather alerts, real-time tracking of multiple locations, weather radar and specific info such as road conditions and wind speeds.
- Emergency app: Managed by the American Red Cross, the Emergency app offers step-by-step preparedness plans, live weather maps, National Weather Service alerts and more. The app also provides the location of nearby Red Cross services and shelters.
- Citizen: Currently serving more than 60 U.S. cities, the Citizen app tracks local incidents and sends public safety alerts tailored to your location. Citizen alerts focus on public safety events, such as criminal activity, fires, missing persons or similar emergencies. It also provides a live map of active alerts.
Mother Nature can be unpredictable at the best of times, but you don’t need to be caught unaware the next time something happens. With emergency alerts on your phone, you can know right away when a storm, natural disaster or other danger is coming your way, giving you more time to prepare and protect your loved ones—along with a little extra peace of mind.
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Sources:
- Federal Communications Commission: “The Emergency Alert System (EAS)”
- National Weather Service: “Wireless Emergency Alerts – What are they and how do they work?”
- Apple: “About emergency and government alerts on iPhone”
- Android: “How to manage emergency phone alerts for Android”
- Ready.gov: “Emergency Alerts”
