Tornado warnings, flash flood emergencies, and evacuation orders can reach your phone automatically. It takes about a minute to make sure they are switched on.
Wireless Emergency Alerts are broadcast by your carrier to every phone near the danger. There is nothing to sign up for or install, they do not count as texts, and they still get through when networks are busy. You only need to make sure they are turned on.
You won't see a switch for them. They can't be turned off, by design.
Some carriers hide it. Open the Phone app, go to the keypad, dial *5005*25371# and press call. You should see “Test alerts enabled.”
Menus move between phone models and carriers. Open Settings and search for emergency alerts, or try Settings › Notifications › Advanced settings.
Most use Settings › Safety & emergency › Wireless emergency alerts. The switches have the same names as on Samsung.
| Alert | What it's for | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| National | Nationwide emergencies issued by the President or FEMA. | Always on |
| Extreme / Emergency | Imminent threats to life, like tornado warnings, flash flood emergencies, and evacuation orders. | Keep on |
| Severe | Serious threats one step below extreme. | Keep on |
| AMBER | Child abduction emergencies in your area. | Keep on |
| Public Safety | Recommended actions to protect life or property, like boil-water notices. | Keep on |
| Test | Occasional tests confirming alerts reach your phone. | Recommended |
National alerts always sound. On iPhone, turning on Always Play Sound makes the other emergency alerts sound too. On Android, emergency alerts generally override silent mode by default. The only sure way to block them is turning the phone off or using airplane mode.
No. They're broadcast over a dedicated channel, not sent as text messages, so they're free, don't count against your plan, and don't need data.
Nearly every phone sold in the US in the past decade supports emergency alerts. Very old phones, or phones bought outside the US, may not. Your carrier can confirm whether your device is supported.
Yes. A NOAA Weather Radio works even when cell towers are down and wakes you at night. Having at least two ways to get warnings is recommended.