Why is My Emergency Alert Not Working? Causes and Fixes
by Rubaditsha | Updated May 25, 2023
Emergency Alert in UK
The emergency population warning system in the United Kingdom utilizes cell broadcast technology. It has undergone various stages of development and testing over the years. The first test alert was sent in March 2020, and the system was officially launched on March 19, 2023. On April 23, 2023, it underwent its first nationwide test.
The concept of an emergency alert system in the UK can be traced back to the Cold War era when the country established the Wartime Broadcasting Service. This service aimed to keep UK residents informed in the event of a catastrophic wartime attack, such as a nuclear warhead detonation or severe bombing. However, the current state of this system is not publicly known, and details about it are largely held by high-ranking executives at the BBC and government officials.
In 2013, the UK government conducted trials for a cell broadcast system similar to those implemented in other countries. The trials involved simultaneously broadcasting alerts to multiple mobile devices. A project report in 2014 highlighted the positive response from responders and the general public, with 85% of people considering a mobile alert system to be a good idea.
The report expressed the intention to conduct further trials; however, no additional trials were carried out after that point. An earlier report from 2012, known as the "Extended Floodline Warnings Direct Trial," explored the use of mobile phone calls for alerts and found that only 12% of recipients acknowledged the alert. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that the government faced criticism for not implementing its own advice to establish a national emergency alert system, despite previous successful reports from the Cabinet Office suggesting the need for such a system.
In 2019 and early 2020, the Environment Agency collaborated with EE, Fujitsu, and the University of Hull to trial Cell Broadcasting technologies specifically for flood warning purposes. These trials aimed to explore the effectiveness of utilizing cell broadcast technology in providing timely and widespread flood alerts.
Overall, the UK's mobile phone alert system has undergone a series of developments, tests, and trials over the years. The recent nationwide test represents a significant milestone in the implementation of an effective emergency alert system for major incidents such as floods or terror attacks.
Why is My Emergency Alert not Working?
Numerous customers on the Three mobile network have reported not receiving the emergency alert test that was conducted earlier today. Three has acknowledged this issue and stated that they are collaborating with the government to determine what went wrong.These emergency alerts are expected to play a crucial role in notifying people about dangerous situations in the future. Oliver Dowden, the newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister, referred to the associated buzzing noise as the "sound that could save your life." The sound is intended to be heard in the event of imminent dangers such as severe flooding, extreme weather conditions, and fires.
A spokesperson from Three commented on the situation, saying, "We are aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert. We are working closely with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn't happen when the system is in use."Prior to the alert, Three informed its customers that the UK Government would be testing the emergency alert systems. They mentioned that during the test, phones would emit a loud siren sound, even if they were on silent mode, and a message would appear on the screen.
Some individuals expressed their frustration at not receiving the emergency alert. One person questioned whether those on the Three network would be left uninformed during an actual emergency situation.The Cabinet Office has announced that they will review the outcome of the UK-wide test of the emergency alert system.
They acknowledged that while the vast majority of compatible phones received the alert, a very small proportion of mobile users on certain networks did not receive it.The government spokesperson stated, "We have effectively completed the test of the UK-wide Emergency Alerts system, the biggest public communications exercise of its kind ever done. We are working with mobile network operators to review the outcome and any lessons learned."
Three Emergency Alert not Working
Three, a mobile network in the UK, experienced a widespread failure in delivering an emergency alert from the government during the first nationwide test of the country's new national warning system. While the alarm successfully reached millions of people connected to the UK's 4G and 5G networks, a significant number of Three users reported not receiving the alert.
Three has acknowledged the issue and stated that they are currently investigating why their customers did not receive the test alert. They are working closely with the government to understand the cause of the problem and ensure that it does not happen in the future when the system is in actual use.
The government has confirmed the completion of the UK-wide emergency alert system test, which is considered the largest public communications exercise of its kind. They are now collaborating with mobile network operators to review the outcome of the test and learn from any potential lessons.
While only a small proportion of users on certain mobile networks experienced a failure in receiving the message, the majority of users who reported not receiving the alert were on the Three network. However, some users on the O2 and Vodafone networks also encountered difficulties. It was expected that users whose phones had not received a software update in over two years and those who were not within range of a 4G or 5G network might not successfully receive the test alert.
It's worth noting that users typically have the option to opt out of lower-tier alerts but not the highest-tier alerts. In this case, the test alert was sent as a "severe" warning, and opting out of such alerts is usually not available on most devices.
The situation has generated conspiracy theories, with some users receiving messages on WhatsApp advising them to turn off the alerts. These messages falsely claimed that keeping the alerts on would grant access to their mobile devices. However, there is no such condition or risk associated with receiving emergency alerts.
Additionally, it was discovered that the Welsh language version of the national emergency alert test contained a spelling error. The translation for "others safe" was misspelled as "eraill yn Vogel" instead of the correct spelling "eraill yn ddiogel."
The development of the UK's national alert system has been ongoing for over a decade. Initial tests began in 2013 with regional alerts, and in 2014, a review strongly recommended moving forward with implementing a national mobile alert system. However, the plan faced challenges, as no department was willing to cover the estimated cost of £1 million for rolling out the system at that time. The Covid-19 pandemic prompted the government to revive the plans, leading to collaboration with mobile networks to send a text message announcing the lockdown to all 85 million phones in the country. This previous experience revealed challenges and delays, as it took nearly two days for all the messages to be delivered.
the failure of Three users to receive the emergency alert during the nationwide test of the UK's new national warning system is currently under investigation. Three is working closely with the government to determine the cause and prevent similar issues in the future. The government has acknowledged the completion of the test and is reviewing the outcome and any lessons learned. It is essential to address the technical issues and ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the national alert system to promptly inform and protect the public during emergencies.
Emergency Alert Test UK not Working
Three, a mobile network in the UK, is currently investigating the reason behind a widespread failure of its users to receive an emergency alert from the government. This alert was the first nationwide test for the country's new national warning system. The scheduled alarm was supposed to sound at 3 pm on all mobile devices connected to the UK's 4G and 5G networks. While many people did receive the piercing 10-second tone, with some even receiving it up to a minute early, numerous Three users reported not receiving the alert at all.
A spokesperson from Three acknowledged the issue, stating that they are aware that a number of their customers did not receive the test alert. They assured that they are closely working with the government to understand the cause of the problem and ensure that it doesn't occur when the system is in actual use.
The government, on the other hand, confirmed that the UK-wide emergency alerts system test was effectively completed, marking it as the largest public communications exercise of its kind ever conducted. They are collaborating with mobile network operators to review the outcome and learn any valuable lessons from the test. According to a government source, only a very small proportion of users on certain mobile networks did not receive the message, and this failure will be included in the review process.
The majority of users who did not receive the alert seemed to be on the Three network, although some users on the O2 and Vodafone networks also reported difficulties. It was expected that users whose phones had not received a software update in over two years and those who were not within range of a 4G or 5G network would not successfully receive the test alert.
While users have the option to opt out of the second and third highest tiers of alerts, known as "extreme" and "severe" alerts, most phones do not provide the option to opt out of the highest tier, officially referred to as "presidential" but renamed "government" in the UK. The test alert was sent as a "severe" warning.
The situation has sparked conspiracy theories, with some users receiving messages on WhatsApp advising them to turn off the alerts, falsely claiming that doing so would prevent access to their mobile devices. It should be noted that no such condition exists in the alerts.Additionally, it was confirmed by the government that the Welsh language version of the national emergency alert test contained a spelling error. Instead of the translation for "others safe" being written as "eraill yn ddiogel," it was mistakenly spelled as "eraill yn Vogel."
The development of the UK's national alert system has been ongoing for more than a decade. Initial tests began in 2013, focusing on regional alerts, and a review published in 2014 strongly recommended progressing with the program. The review concluded that issuing alerts to the public within 15 minutes of a decision being made during an emergency was feasible and an effective way to prompt people to take necessary protective actions.
However, the plan faced setbacks, as no department was willing to bear the estimated £1 million cost of implementing the system at the time. The Covid-19 pandemic prompted the government to revive the plans, as it was compelled to collaborate with mobile networks to send a text message to all 85 million phones in the country to announce the lockdown. The networks were overwhelmed, and it took nearly two days for all the messages to be delivered.
How to Fix Emergency Alerts iPhone Not Working?
Solution 1: Restart iPhone
To resolve the issue of emergency alerts not working on your iPhone, you can try restarting your device. This method may not always be effective, but it's worth a try. Follow these steps to restart your iPhone:
- For iPhone X or later models: Press and hold the power button and volume button simultaneously until you see the slider on your iPhone screen.
- For iPhone 8 or earlier models: Press and hold the power button until the slider appears on your screen.
- Drag the slider to turn off your iPhone. Wait for a few minutes, and then turn it back on.
Solution 2: Reset the Settings
Another method to fix the issue of emergency alerts not working on your iPhone is to reset your iPhone settings. Here's how you can do it:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Go to the "General" option.
- Select "Reset."
- Choose "Reset All Settings."
- Enter your passcode when prompted and confirm your selection.
- Your iPhone will be reset to its default settings, which may resolve the issue.
Solution 3: Turn Airplane Mode on and off
You can try toggling Airplane Mode on and off on your iPhone to fix the problem with emergency alerts. Follow these steps:
- Go to the "Settings" app on your iPhone.
- Toggle the "Airplane Mode" option on.
- Wait for a few minutes.
- Toggle the "Airplane Mode" option off.
- Alternatively, you can use the Control Center to access the Airplane Mode toggle.
Solution 4: Upgrade iOS to the Latest Version
Upgrading your iOS system to the latest version can often resolve various issues, including problems with emergency alerts. Follow these steps to upgrade your iOS:
- Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone.
- Go to the "General" option.
- Select "Software Update."
- Your iPhone will check for available updates.
- If an update is available, choose "Download and Install" to update your iPhone to the latest version.
Solution 5: Use Dr.Fone - System Repair
If the previous solutions didn't work, you can try using a software called Dr.Fone - System Repair. This tool can help fix various issues with your iPhone. Here's how you can use it:
- Download and launch Dr.Fone - System Repair on your computer.
- Connect your iPhone to the computer.
- Follow the instructions provided by the software to download the appropriate firmware for your iPhone.
- Once the firmware is downloaded, click on the "Fix" button to start the repair process.
- Wait for the software to fix the issues on your iPhone. This process usually takes a few minutes.
- After the repair is complete, your iPhone should be back to normal.
Solution 6: Factory Reset Your iPhone
As a last resort, you can try performing a factory reset on your iPhone to fix the issue with emergency alerts. Keep in mind that this will erase all data on your device, so make sure to back up your data before proceeding. Here's how to factory reset your iPhone:
- Go to the "Settings" app on your iPhone.
- Select the "General" option.
- Choose "Reset."
- Select "Erase All Content and Settings."
- If you have already backed up your data, confirm the reset by choosing "Erase Now."
- Your iPhone will be reset to its factory settings, resolving any software-related issues.
Why is My Emergency Alert not Working:FAQs
The United Kingdom's mobile phone alert system is an emergency population warning system that utilizes cell broadcast technology.
Testing for the mobile phone alert system began in 2014, with the first test alert sent in March 2020.
The warning system is intended for use in major incidents such as flooding or terror attacks to provide population-wide alerts and warnings.
The Emergency Alert System was launched on March 19, 2023, and underwent its first nationwide test on April 23, 2023.