Your phone, along with almost everyone else’s in the UK, is going to send you an emergency alert at 3pm on Sunday, April 23.
Yep, a nationwide test of the UK’s emergency alert service is going to pop up on all 4G and 5G phones accompanied with a sound and vibration which will go off automatically for 10 seconds.
But, don’t worry, it’s only a practice run.
The alert will remind you that you do not need to take any action when receiving this message. You just need to tap “OK” or swipe it away like a regular notification, much like when you get a low battery notification, for instance.
It’s meant to be used in “life-threatening emergencies”, according to the government. That includes extreme weather like the wildfires during last summer’s heatwave, or the subsequent flooding incidents.
The government wants the general public to be able to recognise a real alert, because this will instruct people on what to do in an emergency.
Minister Oliver Dowden claimed: “Getting this system operational with the national test means we have another tool in our toolkit to keep the public safe in life-threatening emergencies. It could be the sound that saves your life.”
The government are aware that the timing of the alert means it will go off during some Premier League football matches and the London Marathon, but it has been preparing with emergency services to minimise the impact.
Mark Hardingham, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said: “For 10 seconds the national test may be inconvenient for some, but please forgive us for the intrusion.
“The next time you hear it, your life and the life-saving actions of our emergency services, could depend on it.”
It’s the first time the UK has rolled this service out across the country, having tested it in East Suffolk and Reading before, although similar systems are already used in the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan.
However, they aren’t exactly going to be used on a day-to-day basis. It could be years until the UK facing a life-threatening event which prompts the emergency alert.
Assistant chief constable Owen Weatherill from the National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “Warning and informing the public at speed during times of crises can be vital.
“We look forward to further developing the use of the Emergency Alerts capability and how it can have real benefits for the public to protect and preserve life, as well as supporting policing’s wider response to critical incidents with partner agencies.
“Alongside partners, we will continue to listen carefully to public feedback and ensure the use of Emergency Alerts has a positive impact.”
The government claimed it would “transform the UK’s warning and informing capability”, and enable nearly 90% of phones in a defined area to be contacted during a dangerous situation.
The alerts also work best when there has been a practice one released beforehand too, so everyone knows what it looks like.