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Why didn’t I get the emergency alert test?
BRITS up and down the country were blitzed with the emergency alert test on April 23, 2023 – but thousands didn’t receive it.
The issue was due to a network provider experiencing technical issues.
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Why didn't I get the emergency alert test?
Many users were startled to receive the test message at 3pm on April 23, 2023 – and some even got it a minute before.
But there were some who were expecting the alert to arrive on their phones, but it failed to arrive.
The Three mobile network admitted that some of its users did not receive the alert.
In a statement, a Three spokesperson said: "We are aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert.
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"We are working closely with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn’t happen when the system is in use."
The Cabinet Office said that, while the vast majority of compatible phones received the alert, officials were aware that a "very small proportion of mobile users on some networks did not receive it".
The department explained the failures would be looked into as part of the review of the test.
A government spokesman said: "We have effectively completed the test of the UK-wide Emergency Alerts system, the biggest public communications exercise of its kind ever done.
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"We are working with mobile network operators to review the outcome and any lessons learned."
Three's admission came after users flooded Twitter with complaints they failed to receive the national siren.
One person said: "Well, that was an anti-climax, did not work on the Three network in South Derbyshire."
Another added: "Didn’t work for anyone in my family and we’re all on ThreeNetwork and One on IDmobile."
Will I still get the emergency alert test?
In short, no.
The emergency alerts are broadcast via mobile phone masts and work on all 4G and 5G phone networks.
It works by sending a one-way signal from standard mobile phone masts to all devices in the area.
It means whoever sends an alert does not need your number, so it's not something you need to reply to, nor will you receive a voicemail if you miss it.
The system differs from how messages were sent out during lockdown as then messages were sent directly to mobile phones.
So, to receive it, the message would have to be sent out again and there does not appear to be any move to resend the test message.
There have been cases where things have gone badly wrong with emergency alerts.
In 2018, authorities in Hawaii sent out a message warning people of an incoming ballistic missile attack.
Two years later, millions of people got a warning about an “incident” at a nuclear power plant near Toronto, Canada, which has been mistakenly pushed out.
How can I get emergency alerts in the future?
Most people with modern phones don’t need to do anything.
Apple and Android devices that can connect to a 4G or 5G phone network in the UK will receive emergency alerts.
However, whatever device you use, you will need to be using these operating systems:
- Phones running iOS 14.5 or later
- Phones and tablets running Android 11 or later
Older phones, or those set to aeroplane mode or turned off, will not receive the alerts.
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Devices that are only connected to a wifi network will also not receive the alert.
To ensure you receive any future alerts make sure your phone is up-to-date.
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