Emergency Alerts System Test 23rd April

The text of the UK-wide test alert has now been released

The test alert will take place TODAY at 3pm Sunday 23 April

The alert will be received on mobile phones, along with sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds

The test alert, which will take place at 3pm TODAY, will see people receive a message on the home screen of their mobile phone, along with a sound and vibration for up to ten seconds.

The message will say:
This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby.

In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information or read some FAQs here

This is a test. You do not need to take any action.

For the test, the public does not need to take any action – the sound and vibration will stop automatically after ten seconds. All people need to do is swipe away the message or click 'OK' on their phone's home screen – just like for a 'low battery' warning or notification – and continue to use their phone as normal.

Best practice of Emergency Alerts in other countries have shown that they work more effectively when there is a real emergency if people have previously received a test, so they know what an alert looks and sounds like.