The UK Government is nationally testing the Emergency Alerts service on Sunday, 7th September 2025. Every compatible mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert. The government does not need your phone number to send you an alert; emergency alerts are broadcast from mobile phone masts. This follows the first successful test in April 2023.
Information about the upcoming national test is also available in British Sign Language (BSL) and Easy Read formats.
The alert will say:
The alert will explain that this is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you about a life-threatening emergency nearby. In an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. It will also confirm that this is a test. You do not need to take any action.
What do I need to do if I get an alert?
When you get an alert, stop what you’re doing and follow the instructions within the alert.
If you’re driving or riding when you get an alert
- You should not read or otherwise respond to an emergency alert whilst driving or riding a motorcycle.
- If you are driving, you should continue to drive and not respond to the noise or attempt to pick up the mobile phone and deal with the message.
- Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message. If there is nowhere safe or legal to stop close by, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, tune into live radio and wait for bulletins until you can find somewhere safe and legal to stop.
What happens when you get an emergency alert?
An emergency alert looks and sounds very different to any other types of messages you might receive on your phone. You’ll hear a loud, siren-like sound and your phone or tablet will vibrate. If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have received the test.
The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
An alert will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.
The alerts are based on your current location and not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts.