iPhone 13 Disabling emergency alerts on iPhone

[xDeadTechx]

If there is a false alarm (like in Hawaii) -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If a hacker takes over the alert system and posts some phony alert -- I WILL NOT want to know about it.
If _______________ (insert least favorite politician here) abuses the alert system for political gain -- I WILL NOT want to get the alert.

Bottom line, I don't want to get these alerts. It's my phone, it's my decision, I checked "TEST ALERTS: OFF".

This is a FEMA requirement that the test be performed.. regardless of what settings you have enabled on the phone. All wireless carriers participate in these events. This type of event overrides the user's settings since it's on a national level.

Since this a government system, all systems have to conduct an operational test to ensure functionality and if the worst would happen (nuke strike, CBRN strike, attack etc..) FEMA or the office of the President can communicate with the citizens as long as your phone has access to Wi-Fi or is connected to a cellular provider.

More Info: https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20231004/national-emergency-alert-test-results#:~:text=The testing process is designed,national message to the public.

You may not want these alerts, but it is required that the alert happen in the sake of national defense.

 

[sack_peak]

Yup, otherwise Wifi only tablets and computers would get those alerts too.

TBH I having desktop OS and tablet OS with US IPs should get the alert as well is a good idea.

 

[Fred Zed]

Congress said you can’t opt out. Phone settings don’t matter For THIS particular type of national alert.

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_ipaws-2023-national-periodic-test-faqs.pdf

Blame Congress. You can and did opt out of amber alerts and other alerts with your settings.

Is there an option to only opt in for Silver Alerts? 🤣

 

[dukebound85]

It was a nationwide emergency alert test.

Everyone gets it.

whoosh

you don't get the point.

 

[Mikeske]

So what is the big deal about this as I have a hard time understanding a once in a great while we get the test alerts and yes they are annoying but once and done and get on with life. All I can think is in my former employer we were not allowed to carry our phones in explosive environments and all the alerts going off on the folks who were carrying their phones when they should not.

 

[BadBuoy]

I knew it was coming ... and I had a road trip today ... so I turned all the alerts off as OP described ... and it was so incredibly freaking loud in my car I got extremely distracted on the highway and it was not a fun experience, I must say.

 

[antiprotest]

This morning I was surprised to receive a test alert around 11:18 AM Pacific time. I have the following settings in "Notifications":

- Amber Alerts: OFF
- Emergency Alerts: OFF
- Public Safety Alerts: OFF
- Test Alerts: OFF

In spite of all of these settings, I still received the test alert.

What is the deal here, why aren't my settings taking effect? What do I need to do to eliminate these alerts once and for all?

What I wrote on another thread yesterday:

Yeah I have all the emergency/test alerts setting off and it still blasted right through. I immediately swiped left and dismissed them. Very loud and disruptive. Dangerous and irresponsible. Hope not too many people got killed via car crashes and heart attacks over this.

The thing is, I don't mind an alert, just not with sound. With the way people have their phones close 24/7 nowadays letting us turn off the sound is better than all or nothing. I have amber alerts turned off because of the sound. The disruptiveness kind of backfires.

Many have also pointed out that some domestic violence victims have a hidden phone (and others in analogous situations). This alert would almost definitely cause such a device to be discovered. So people on social media have been warning those living in these situations to turn off their phones, but probably many of them didn't see the warning. I hope not many of them get abused, beaten, or killed because of this. Certainly, this lifeline would get taken away, leaving them helpless.

Again, for me the problem is not the alert as such, but that with millions of people living in such varied circumstances, none of them have the option to receive the alert without the sound.

 

[MarkNewton2023]

This morning I was surprised to receive a test alert around 11:18 AM Pacific time. I have the following settings in "Notifications":

- Amber Alerts: OFF
- Emergency Alerts: OFF
- Public Safety Alerts: OFF
- Test Alerts: OFF

In spite of all of these settings, I still received the test alert.

What is the deal here, why aren't my settings taking effect? What do I need to do to eliminate these alerts once and for all?

It was a national emergency alert for all population regardless the setting of anyone’s phone as a mandate from Federal Government. It is extremely important to warn all when national level dangers threaten the country. Keep calm 😊 and understand 😊

 

[BenGoren]

Remember the good old days when you could opt out of air raid sirens and fire drills if you didn’t feel like being bothered?

Yeah, me neither.

It’s once every few years, and the news that it’s coming is everywhere.

So grab a big straw and suck it up.

b&

 

[NeoSe7en]

Look at it this way, if you ever do get one of those alerts, your phone settings will be the least of your problems. 😃

 

[Timpetus]

Because if a REAL alert is issued, there will be nukes incoming — and you’ll WANT to know about it

Honestly, no I don't want to know. If we're all dead I'd rather not be panicked in my last moments.

 

[hirsthirst]

so rare as to be a non-issue, excepting the abuse victim scenario.

Italian government may be about to have to evacuate tens of thousands of people from an earthquake / volcano region - this is about the greater good, not a mild irritation to a small number of oddballs.

Italy plans for mass evacuation as quakes continue around supervolcano

Campi Flegrei area near Naples has been jolted by more than 1,100 earthquakes in a month

www.theguardian.com

 

[Timpetus]

so rare as to be a non-issue, excepting the abuse victim scenario.

Italian government may be about to have to evacuate tens of thousands of people from an earthquake / volcano region - this is about the greater good, not a mild irritation to a small number of oddballs.

Italy plans for mass evacuation as quakes continue around supervolcano

Campi Flegrei area near Naples has been jolted by more than 1,100 earthquakes in a month

www.theguardian.com

That’s all well and good as a justification for having some sort of emergency alert system. It’s not a good reason to ever have any alerts that can’t be turned off, period. That is still 100% the wrong policy.

 

[hirsthirst]

key word being 'emergency', and by definition everyone in affected area needs to receive it.

I'd not want to be a first responder risking my neck clearing houses looking for weirdos who can't cope with an extremely rare text alert.