Question 1

What are the alerts?

Accepted Answer

FEMA tested two systems simultaneously: the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system, which sends alerts to cellphones, and the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which sends them to televisions and radios. On phones, the message began: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System.” On televisions and radios, you probably heard: “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.” The alerts were accompanied by a unique vibration and a sound that, under federal law, can only be used for actual emergencies or authorized tests. This was the third nationwide WEA test and the seventh nationwide EAS test. The WEA message appeared in English or Spanish, depending on your device settings.

Question 2

Who got the test alerts?

Accepted Answer

Hundreds of millions of people should have seen or heard a test message Wednesday. The wireless alert was supposed to go to all compatible cellphones in the United States that were turned on, use a participating cellular carrier and were within distance of a working cell tower. If you are from the United States but traveling outside the country, you should not have received the alert. However, if you are visiting the United States from another country, your phone should have gotten the alert if you were using roaming and connected to a local cellular provider. If you have cable or satellite TV, you saw and heard the test on your screen around the same time, and if you had a radio turned on, you heard it there. These tests were similar to the usual monthly tests run locally by broadcasters. Smartwatches, tablets and other connected devices might have received the alerts depending on how they were set up and if they were connected to cellular service directly or tethered to another device that was.

Question 3

Did it work on TVs without cable or antennas?

Accepted Answer

Cord cutters probably did not see the test message on their televisions. Currently, streaming services and hardware manufacturers are not required to participate in the test. So if you were watching Netflix over your smart TV or an Android TV device, it probably kept playing your show normally unless you were also connected to a broadcast service.

Question 4

How can you stop these tests on your phone?

Accepted Answer

While most smartphones have options for controlling what emergency alerts you receive, there is no way to disable a national alert in your settings. In the future, you can try putting your phone in Do Not Disturb mode, but because there is variation in how different hardware manufacturers and cellular providers handle the tests, that is not guaranteed to work. You can silence the sound when it begins by clicking a button on your phone. If you have a phone that you absolutely do not want to make a sound — for instance, if you are in an abusive relationship and have a hidden device — there is something you can do. Turn it off before any announced test time and do not turn it on for at least 30 minutes. The alerts from Wednesday should not have gone out after 2:50 p.m. Eastern. If you are in a situation in which a phone needs to stay hidden for your safety, do not rely on muting it or other settings. Turn it off.

Question 5

When would this alert be used for real?

Accepted Answer

Most emergencies are localized. Hurricanes, earthquakes, chemical spills or active shooters all affect specific areas and would not get a national alert. So what would justify taking over the airways and sending a text to most people in all 50 states? Any threat to the entire United States that could require Americans to take some kind of action: an act of war or a terrorist attack, or even an event with global implications, such as an asteroid impact threat.

Question 6

What would be different if it were an actual emergency?

Accepted Answer

If the system was used for a real emergency, the text would include instructions about what actions you should take to stay safe.

Question 7

Who can send the alert?

Accepted Answer

A real national alert could only be approved at the highest levels, including by the president or the FEMA administrator. The national wireless alert was previously called the “Presidential Alert” but was changed in 2022. That name caused confusion in October 2018, when FEMA had to clarify that the alert would not actually be written by President Donald Trump.

Question 8

Can you turn other emergency alerts off or on?

Accepted Answer

The national alert is just one of many you can get on your cellphone. You can opt in to or out of more local alerts in your phone’s settings. Start with our guide to emergency alerts for Android and Apple users.

Why did phones get an emergency alert today? It was just a test.

Cellphones, televisions and radios all took part in a test of the national alert systems

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