Testing the Emergency Alerts service
Following the successful national test of the UK Emergency Alerts system on 23 April 2023, the government and mobile network operators will be carrying out occasional 鈥榦perator鈥� tests.
This is to assess improvements that have been made to the Emergency Alerts service.
You may get this alert if you have a phone that has operator test alerts turned on.
These operator tests are not alerting you of real danger. These alerts will always have 鈥榦perator鈥� in the title and will confirm that no action is needed.
If you get an operator test alert, your phone may make a loud siren-like sound for about 10 seconds, unless it鈥檚 on silent.
Opt out of operator test alerts
How you opt out depends on what phone you have. If you continue getting operator test alerts after opting out, contact your phone manufacturer for help.
Android phones
To stop receiving operator test alerts, search your phone鈥檚 settings for 鈥榚mergency alerts鈥� and turn off 鈥榯est alerts鈥�, 鈥榚xercise alerts鈥�, 鈥榦perator defined鈥� and 鈥榦perator alerts鈥�. If you cannot see them in your settings:
- open your phone calling app
- use the keypad to enter *#*#2627#*#*
- search your settings for 鈥榚mergency alerts鈥� and turn off 鈥榯est alerts鈥�, 鈥榚xercise alerts鈥�, 鈥榦perator defined鈥� and 鈥榦perator alerts鈥�
Other mobile phones
Depending on the manufacturer and software version of your phone, emergency alerts settings may be called different names, such as 鈥榳ireless emergency alerts鈥� or 鈥榚mergency broadcasts鈥�.
The settings can usually be found in one of the following ways. Go to:
- 鈥榤essage鈥�, then 鈥榤essage settings, then 鈥榳ireless emergency alerts鈥�, then 鈥榓lert鈥�
- 鈥榮ettings鈥�, then 鈥榮ounds鈥�, then 鈥榓dvanced鈥�, then 鈥榚mergency broadcasts鈥�
- 鈥榮ettings鈥�, then 鈥榞eneral settings鈥�, then 鈥榚mergency alerts鈥�
Then turn off 鈥榯est alerts鈥�, 鈥榚xercise alerts鈥�, 鈥榦perator defined鈥� and 鈥榦perator alerts鈥�.