Explained: What Are the Wireless Emergency Alerts Sent by DoT?

Twitter was recently flooded with screenshots of an emergency alert that was sent out by the Department of Telecommunications. 

Many people panicked as the notification was completely random and it buzzed peoples’ devices quite loudly. 

The notification read “Emergency Alert: Severe. This is a test alert from Department of Telecommunication, Government of India. 20 July 2023.”

🚨 ALERT 🚨 Anyone else experienced a sudden wired noise and vibration on their phones? Received a Wireless Emergency Alert from Department of Telecommunication, Government of India, marked as "Severe." Curious if others got it too! #EmergencyAlert #WirelessAlert #GovernmentTest pic.twitter.com/VMxnknD4oU

— Informed Investor (@Santosh68732025) July 20, 2023

Got this notification on my phone with a massive vibration. What is the emergency alert? pic.twitter.com/PSgaJsHeBe

— Sagar (@sagarcasm) July 20, 2023

The severe alert notification was reportedly sent to people just in Maharashtra in Marathi and English. This is because continuous rain has been causing damage and water-logging in low-lying areas. 

⚠️ #RedAlert ⚠️#Konkan & #Goa and #MadhyaMaharashtra are likely to get Heavy to Very heavy with Extremely heavy rainfall (more than 204.4 mm) on 20th and 21st July.#monsoon2023 #weather #WeatherUpdate #rain #monsoonseason@moesgoi @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts@ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/7U1c3VHcLL

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) July 20, 2023

What Are Emergency Alerts?

Emergency alerts are messages that are sent to mobile phones in the event of a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other emergency.

The alerts can include information about the emergency, as well as instructions on what people should do. Emergency alerts are sent using the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system.

The WEA system is a public safety system that allows government officials to target emergency alerts to specific geographic areas.

Emergency alerts are messages that are sent to mobile phones in the event of a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other emergency. The alerts can include information about the emergency, as well as instructions on what to do. Emergency alerts are sent using the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system.

The WEA system is a public safety system that allows government officials to target emergency alerts to specific geographic areas. The system is designed to reach people who are not tuned into traditional media sources, such as television or radio.

How to Receive or Turn off Emergency Alerts on Your Phone?

Here are the steps you need to take to turn on/off emergency alerts on your iPhone: 

• Open Settings
• Click on Notifications
• Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and toggle the government alerts on or off
• It is important to know that the ability to turn off government alerts might not be available for certain locations

For Android: 

The settings for Android depend from brand to brand but here is what works for most Android devices: 

• Access Settings 
• Scroll down to Safety and Emergency
• Toggle on/off on the Wireless Emergency Alerts 

Here are some additional things to keep in mind:

• Emergency alerts are important messages that can help you stay safe in an emergency. If you are in an area that is prone to natural disasters or other emergencies, it is important to keep emergency alerts turned on.
• If you do turn off emergency alerts, you will not receive any alerts from the government, even if there is an emergency in your area.

READ| How to Use Your Smartphone Alerts to Stay Updated on Severe Weather Conditions?