All you need to know as emergency alert to hit phones this week

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a crucial message about an important date this week. This alert is particularly important for anyone who owns a smartphone or tablet.

In a post to X on Sunday, the department announced: "There will be a UK-wide test of the Emergency Alerts system on Sun 7 Sep 2025 at 3 pm Your phone may sound and display a message No action is needed."

As the message indicates, the Government is trialling the UK's Emergency Alert system on Sunday, September 7, at 3 pm. This system is designed to deliver warnings and guidance during life-threatening emergency situations.

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Although the alert on September 7 is merely a trial run, it could be deployed to notify UK residents of dangers, including wildfires, serious flooding, and severe storms, in the future. The Government, emergency services, agencies, and other bodies that manage emergencies can send these warnings.

Importantly, the Government doesn't require your phone number or whereabouts to dispatch these alerts. "An alert will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information," the Government's website explains.

"You’ll get alerts based on your current location - not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts." When an alert is triggered, a phone or tablet might produce a loud siren-like sound, vibrate or announce the message out loud.

Warnings typically persist for approximately 10 seconds. Whilst the public won't be required to act during the September 7 alert, future messages may contain guidance on necessary steps.

Nevertheless, the Government adds: "Do not read or respond to an emergency alert while driving or riding. Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message.

"If there’s nowhere safe and legal to stop, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, you can listen to news on live radio to find out about the emergency. It’s illegal to use a hand-held device while driving or riding."

It's important to clarify that these alerts are not intended to replace other communication channels like local news, radio, TV, or social media updates. In the UK, most emergency alerts are issued in English, but in Wales, they might also be available in Welsh.

The Government's advice continues: "If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have an emergency alert if accessibility notifications have been enabled on your mobile phone or tablet."

For additional details on the UK's emergency alerts, visit GOV.UK.

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