Security News > 2023 > October > Emergency alert on US phones and TVs today — Don’t worry, it’s just a test
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission will run an emergency alert test today to check Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts capabilities nationwide.
On consumers' phones, WEA alert messages will read: "This is a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."
They will say, "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."
Simultaneously, the EAS alerts will be pushed as Common Alerting Protocol messages via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks.
While FEMA states that recipients cannot opt out of receiving these alerts, phones that are turned off or set to 'airplane' mode before the test alert transmission and remain inactive until after the WEA Test concludes should not receive the test message.
Like the familiar Amber Alert sound, the WEA alert tone typically plays only when the device receives the alert and will automatically stop when the user interacts with the phone.