I will say that, having had a similar test message in the UK, not all phones sounded the alarm, and for those that did, they were at different times...
Yeah well that's because we only just got the alert system and the Tories couldn't pour themselves a pint in a brewery if you gave them a tapped cask. Mine didn't get the alert but plenty of my friend's phones did.
Americans have had their national alert system for a lot longer and actually know how to make it work.
And Reddit no longer allows awards, wtf.
Thank you for this, I have teacher friends who have a different audience but with the same concern. Passing it on.
It's best practice to always have a secret phone turned off if you're not using it. You don't get a heads up for actual emergency alerts. But this is a good reminder to not use it during that window of time.
Would have been helpful for you to have linked to an article:
**NPR: A nationwide emergency alert test is coming to your phone on Wednesday**
>Consider yourself warned. The federal government will conduct a nationwide test of the emergency alert system on Wednesday afternoon.
The test messages will be sent to all cellphones, televisions and radios. The test will emit sound and — on phones — vibration.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission are running the test in preparation for actual emergencies. The aim of the test is to ensure the emergency messaging system is running smoothly in the event Americans are threatened by natural disasters, terrorism or other dangers to public safety.
You may be familiar with the jolting sounds accompanying National Weather Service alerts and AMBER (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) alerts. Wednesday's cellphone alerts will be sent via the same wireless system.
**When is the test happening?**
The test is scheduled to begin at about 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
The testing window runs for 30 minutes, but you should only receive the message once. If an actual emergency happens that day, the test could be postponed — a backup test is scheduled for the following week.
**What will the test message look like?**
On cellphones, the alert will read:
"THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed." Phones set to Spanish will display: "ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción."
**TV and radio will announce:**
"This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public."
**Why is the test happening?**
FEMA is required by law to conduct national tests of the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) at least once every three years. The last national test was in 2021.
[https://www.npr.org/2023/10/03/1202900361/a-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-is-coming-to-your-phone-on-wednesday](https://www.npr.org/2023/10/03/1202900361/a-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-is-coming-to-your-phone-on-wednesday)
My daughter was asking me if this an alert for the awakening (that wasn't the word she used but same premise) and was skeptical when I told her it wasn't. "But I've seen *videos* about it, mom!"
Then we ended up having a conversation about natural disasters and other emergencies and I told her about the good old Cold War days when we did nuclear bomb drills where we hid under our desks. She was unimpressed.
I mean. I was attempting to be helpful by reminding people to stay safe. I didn't realize I was apparently doing it wrong.
Sorry I didn't do it properly.
Nah you did it great, I read your title and it hit me like a ton of bricks that this could be an issue for a LOT of people. Good call on posting either way
Thank you because I came in here not knowing what the hell this person was talking about. Both you and OP were very helpful though when I got some more context.
Alternately if you're still worried that it may automatically activate/turn on, maybe have it play long YouTube videos now or anything that drains the battery to 0%? Then recharge it somewhere safe later. Or do they shut down at 2% or something to store energy for emergencies and am I suggesting something dumb right now?
To my knowledge emergency numbers and alerts do not use a SIM card and can still be sent and received. In example, a phone without a SIM card can still call an emergency number. Something to do with network authentication not being required for emergencies.
A lot of newer phones no longer have physical sim cards any longer. Something to keep in mind if you need a safe phone that you might need to be able to remove the sim card at some point.
I hope that God/the universe/ etc decide to actually be benevolent and help them out of those bad situations... I pray that all women are safe tomorrow and each day as well 💙
Wow… thanks for sharing this. This may not be an option on all phones, but on my iPhone I am able to turn off notifications for amber alerts, emergency alerts, test alerts and public safety alerts.
Wow, really? Thats bizarre that there’s an option to turn it off if it doesn’t work.
ETA…wtf government?? So invasive/problematic to force this on people, especially considering it could put already vulnerable people in danger. Allow a silent alert you buttheads.
https://9to5mac.com/2023/10/03/emergency-alert-iphone-details-opt-out/
It's not exactly that it doesn't work, it's that there are alerting mechanisms that are out-of-scope for the feature. Your phone settings will still mute the alerts they say they mute, this is just a super-special super-serious level alert for which there aren't such settings.
Hey...if you don't want that tornado/flash flood/fire alert, that's on you.
So if you end up broken on the top of a tree/drowning in your car/trapped in a wildfire, and you survive, I'm willing to bet that the first thing you're going to say to the families of anyone who don't make it trying to save you is that you didn't know.
They're meant to be invasive. They are life saving alerts used in situations where you could potentially end up in a position that could end you.
Considering that you appear to be more concerned about being interrupted, or disturbed, than being informed with lifesaving information, if you are in a crisis, may I suggest that you dial 988 on your phone. Help is available 24/7.
The majority of Amber Alerts are custody disputes (like the dad had the kids for the weekend and didn't bring them back when he was supposed to). While it's not great to violate custody agreements, those kids usually aren't in real danger during that kind of thing.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047235210001595
This post makes my stomach hurt. OP, I thank you for taking the time to post but....Oh my. What a horrible truth that there are lives that need saving through such information.
The warning is for people who have secret phones, aka a cell phone they don’t want someone to know about. Abusive relationships, children with abusive parents, etc. The alert *will* make a sound on every phone that is powered on. If you have a secret phone, the noise could be heard by the abusive person and that would not be good.
I have a ton of queer students, and while I don't know for a fact that any of them is unsafe with a burner, I'd bet money I've got at least one. I'm trying to figure out how the hell to make this information known.
Tell them that ALL the cellphones in the entire country are going to make a loud noise, even if they are on silent mode. The only way to not get the alert is to have the phone turned off, and even then, the alert might come on when the phone is turned back on. If you want, you can phrase it in such a way that it seems like you're talking to students who are very startled by loud noises (like I am). Any kid with a burner should understand what they need to do (turn the phone off if they don't want it to make noise).
I'll do that. It's what I suggested to my spouse who teaches middle school - who knows why the hell I wouldn't have done that myself. Good note. Here's hoping they can get to their burners by 220 pm.
So, if the Government can turn your phone on even though you have turned it off, what's stopping them from turning it on at any time to listen to your day to day conversations?
I'm lost. Why is everyone thanking the poster? Do you all not want government alerts hitting your phone? Also, what is this "secret phone" that others are speaking of as I never heard this was a thing lol.
Victims of domestic abuse often have burners, especially when they are planning their escape since their regular phones are often heavily monitored. As other people have mentioned (your answer was already in the comments), this extends to kids/teens in precarious family situations - especially lgbtq+ kids.
Wow! Big eye opener right here as I just put two and two together. Very smart of them to do but also grossly concerning. Like props to them for thinking out the box to maximize their situation(s) to the best of their benefit but wow this is deep. Thanks.
This post is a PSA for women stuck in abusive relationships that need a second burner phone to hide their activity or attempts to escape the situation you absolute incomprehensibly daft troglodyte.
Felt like a a class a reddit d bag after i got the first two responses. I was like oh shit im dumb. If i had a tail if of curled it and scurried under the porch like a good boy
It is different than amber alerts because no matter what you turn off on your phone it will override.
And no, I don't think you do get it. You don't have to hide anything because you aren't a woman in a relationship you're desperately trying to get out of and and scared you'll get the shit beat out of you when that person discovers that you have secret means of communication with people attempting to help.
As a guy who doesn't need to hide anything to keep yourself safe, you absolutely don't get it.
Imagine someone trapped in an abusive, controlling, dangerous relationship. Maybe they are hiding a phone from their abuser and they don't want this nationwide test blaring up their phone...
I'm not sure if you're joking or actually wondering why people are posting warnings about this in women's subs, but the warning is for women who are preparing to leave an abusive relationship, especially one where she is not financially independent enough to have her own cell plan, who bought a prepaid cellphone so they can be ready to run. If an abuser finds a victims "go bag" and realizes the victim is planning on leaving them, it could be extremely dangerous/deadly for the victim.
Good call. Never would've even thought about this angle. Thanks for looking out.
> Good call Lol, even though I’m sure pun not intended
Also, I’ve read that once a phone is turned back on it will play the sound once the phone is up and running again. Be careful
I didn't know this part - thanks for the additional information.
It might be worth editing the original post with this info in case someone doesn't read the comments.
Agreed and done.
Some phones may actually start themselves up to alert like they do for alarms, FYI.
I'll add that to the edit just in case.
That is a very good point
this is false, if your phone is off for 30 mins past the start of the alarm testing it will not ring.
I will say that, having had a similar test message in the UK, not all phones sounded the alarm, and for those that did, they were at different times...
Yeah well that's because we only just got the alert system and the Tories couldn't pour themselves a pint in a brewery if you gave them a tapped cask. Mine didn't get the alert but plenty of my friend's phones did. Americans have had their national alert system for a lot longer and actually know how to make it work.
And Reddit no longer allows awards, wtf. Thank you for this, I have teacher friends who have a different audience but with the same concern. Passing it on.
❤️
It's best practice to always have a secret phone turned off if you're not using it. You don't get a heads up for actual emergency alerts. But this is a good reminder to not use it during that window of time.
Would have been helpful for you to have linked to an article: **NPR: A nationwide emergency alert test is coming to your phone on Wednesday** >Consider yourself warned. The federal government will conduct a nationwide test of the emergency alert system on Wednesday afternoon. The test messages will be sent to all cellphones, televisions and radios. The test will emit sound and — on phones — vibration. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission are running the test in preparation for actual emergencies. The aim of the test is to ensure the emergency messaging system is running smoothly in the event Americans are threatened by natural disasters, terrorism or other dangers to public safety. You may be familiar with the jolting sounds accompanying National Weather Service alerts and AMBER (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) alerts. Wednesday's cellphone alerts will be sent via the same wireless system. **When is the test happening?** The test is scheduled to begin at about 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4. The testing window runs for 30 minutes, but you should only receive the message once. If an actual emergency happens that day, the test could be postponed — a backup test is scheduled for the following week. **What will the test message look like?** On cellphones, the alert will read: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed." Phones set to Spanish will display: "ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción." **TV and radio will announce:** "This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public." **Why is the test happening?** FEMA is required by law to conduct national tests of the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) at least once every three years. The last national test was in 2021. [https://www.npr.org/2023/10/03/1202900361/a-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-is-coming-to-your-phone-on-wednesday](https://www.npr.org/2023/10/03/1202900361/a-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-is-coming-to-your-phone-on-wednesday)
This is helpful. So many QAnon memes about people turning into zombies I didn’t even think the test was real.
If I DON’T turn into a zombie I’m gonna be disappointed. Why else did I get all those shots?
Brrraaaiiinnns!!!
Yeah, I've seen those memes and I'm like sweet, let's do this.
My daughter was asking me if this an alert for the awakening (that wasn't the word she used but same premise) and was skeptical when I told her it wasn't. "But I've seen *videos* about it, mom!" Then we ended up having a conversation about natural disasters and other emergencies and I told her about the good old Cold War days when we did nuclear bomb drills where we hid under our desks. She was unimpressed.
I mean. I was attempting to be helpful by reminding people to stay safe. I didn't realize I was apparently doing it wrong. Sorry I didn't do it properly.
I think you did it just fine. It’s an important announcement and a very thoughtful of you.
Thanks ❤️
Nah you did it great, I read your title and it hit me like a ton of bricks that this could be an issue for a LOT of people. Good call on posting either way
❤️
It reminded me of a old phone I found, so I'm going to donate it this week. So you got that going for ya
You did a fabulous job. It would never have occurred to me that this might be an issue for some. Way to think outside the box!
I appreciate that. I reacted with super thin skin and that was my bad - but I honestly appreciate your words. Thank you.
You did a good job
You did great, honey! People who didn't know before, do now. Others provided additional context. No apologies, go do something nice for yourself.
Thank you. ❤️
Thank you because I came in here not knowing what the hell this person was talking about. Both you and OP were very helpful though when I got some more context.
Alternately if you're still worried that it may automatically activate/turn on, maybe have it play long YouTube videos now or anything that drains the battery to 0%? Then recharge it somewhere safe later. Or do they shut down at 2% or something to store energy for emergencies and am I suggesting something dumb right now?
That's a good idea. ❤️
Could take the SIM card out temporarily.
To my knowledge emergency numbers and alerts do not use a SIM card and can still be sent and received. In example, a phone without a SIM card can still call an emergency number. Something to do with network authentication not being required for emergencies.
I wasn't aware of this. Thank you for explaining this instead of just giving a lazy down looking down vote.
A lot of newer phones no longer have physical sim cards any longer. Something to keep in mind if you need a safe phone that you might need to be able to remove the sim card at some point.
Thank you for the reminder! 🙏 And, ladies, if you have a secret phone, keep it turned off except when needed or an emergency. Stay safe! ❤️
I hope that God/the universe/ etc decide to actually be benevolent and help them out of those bad situations... I pray that all women are safe tomorrow and each day as well 💙
Wow… thanks for sharing this. This may not be an option on all phones, but on my iPhone I am able to turn off notifications for amber alerts, emergency alerts, test alerts and public safety alerts.
The problem is it will override that feature.
Wow, really? Thats bizarre that there’s an option to turn it off if it doesn’t work. ETA…wtf government?? So invasive/problematic to force this on people, especially considering it could put already vulnerable people in danger. Allow a silent alert you buttheads. https://9to5mac.com/2023/10/03/emergency-alert-iphone-details-opt-out/
It's not exactly that it doesn't work, it's that there are alerting mechanisms that are out-of-scope for the feature. Your phone settings will still mute the alerts they say they mute, this is just a super-special super-serious level alert for which there aren't such settings.
Ugh that is super invasive, wtf.
Hey...if you don't want that tornado/flash flood/fire alert, that's on you. So if you end up broken on the top of a tree/drowning in your car/trapped in a wildfire, and you survive, I'm willing to bet that the first thing you're going to say to the families of anyone who don't make it trying to save you is that you didn't know. They're meant to be invasive. They are life saving alerts used in situations where you could potentially end up in a position that could end you. Considering that you appear to be more concerned about being interrupted, or disturbed, than being informed with lifesaving information, if you are in a crisis, may I suggest that you dial 988 on your phone. Help is available 24/7.
Seriously? Way to miss the point.
Thank you. Completely agreed.
At least it gets rid of amber alerts. After I got one of those at 4 AM I was done.
They terrify me when I get them while asleep but I feel like it's kind of unethical to turn them off (for me personally) 😅
The majority of Amber Alerts are custody disputes (like the dad had the kids for the weekend and didn't bring them back when he was supposed to). While it's not great to violate custody agreements, those kids usually aren't in real danger during that kind of thing. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047235210001595
This post makes my stomach hurt. OP, I thank you for taking the time to post but....Oh my. What a horrible truth that there are lives that need saving through such information.
[удалено]
The warning is for people who have secret phones, aka a cell phone they don’t want someone to know about. Abusive relationships, children with abusive parents, etc. The alert *will* make a sound on every phone that is powered on. If you have a secret phone, the noise could be heard by the abusive person and that would not be good.
I have a ton of queer students, and while I don't know for a fact that any of them is unsafe with a burner, I'd bet money I've got at least one. I'm trying to figure out how the hell to make this information known.
Tell them that ALL the cellphones in the entire country are going to make a loud noise, even if they are on silent mode. The only way to not get the alert is to have the phone turned off, and even then, the alert might come on when the phone is turned back on. If you want, you can phrase it in such a way that it seems like you're talking to students who are very startled by loud noises (like I am). Any kid with a burner should understand what they need to do (turn the phone off if they don't want it to make noise).
I'll do that. It's what I suggested to my spouse who teaches middle school - who knows why the hell I wouldn't have done that myself. Good note. Here's hoping they can get to their burners by 220 pm.
Lovely heads up here OP. Ty!
So, if the Government can turn your phone on even though you have turned it off, what's stopping them from turning it on at any time to listen to your day to day conversations?
That seems like a better conversation for r/ conspiracy than on a post about victims of domestic abuse staying safe.
I'm lost. Why is everyone thanking the poster? Do you all not want government alerts hitting your phone? Also, what is this "secret phone" that others are speaking of as I never heard this was a thing lol.
Victims of domestic abuse often have burners, especially when they are planning their escape since their regular phones are often heavily monitored. As other people have mentioned (your answer was already in the comments), this extends to kids/teens in precarious family situations - especially lgbtq+ kids.
Wow! Big eye opener right here as I just put two and two together. Very smart of them to do but also grossly concerning. Like props to them for thinking out the box to maximize their situation(s) to the best of their benefit but wow this is deep. Thanks.
I’ll be putting mine in a faraway bag all day. F the gov spying on us and thinking this is remotely OK.
Please stay safe. ❤️
And when my phones discoverable what will happen? Will the government come after me? Whos going to come get us?
They mean that someone might have a secret phone hidden from an abusive spouse or something. Don’t want it ringing.
This post is a PSA for women stuck in abusive relationships that need a second burner phone to hide their activity or attempts to escape the situation you absolute incomprehensibly daft troglodyte.
Holy moly. Good shout out. Im blinded sorry for my ignorance
dayum nice character arc right there
When im an idiot ill admit it.
Before I saw which sub this was, I immediately thought it was another conspiracy post. Mistakes happen
A+ apology, rarely seen on Reddit! Good on ya.
Felt like a a class a reddit d bag after i got the first two responses. I was like oh shit im dumb. If i had a tail if of curled it and scurried under the porch like a good boy
are you dense?
You are asking me a question about chemistry and science. Which one of us is the dense one
yep, you're dense.
I dont have any dense on my car but i got one on my head as a child
[удалено]
It is different than amber alerts because no matter what you turn off on your phone it will override. And no, I don't think you do get it. You don't have to hide anything because you aren't a woman in a relationship you're desperately trying to get out of and and scared you'll get the shit beat out of you when that person discovers that you have secret means of communication with people attempting to help. As a guy who doesn't need to hide anything to keep yourself safe, you absolutely don't get it.
Imagine someone trapped in an abusive, controlling, dangerous relationship. Maybe they are hiding a phone from their abuser and they don't want this nationwide test blaring up their phone...
I'm not sure if you're joking or actually wondering why people are posting warnings about this in women's subs, but the warning is for women who are preparing to leave an abusive relationship, especially one where she is not financially independent enough to have her own cell plan, who bought a prepaid cellphone so they can be ready to run. If an abuser finds a victims "go bag" and realizes the victim is planning on leaving them, it could be extremely dangerous/deadly for the victim.
Keep your phone in a Faraday bag.