‘Armageddon’ emergency alert message can be despatched to tens of millions of UK telephones
The new Labour Party government has confirmed that there will be a test of the Emergency Alerts system this year after the “Armageddon” message was sent out at Christmas
Get ready to check your phones, Brits, as an “Armageddon” style test message is heading our way!
The government’s gearing up for a massive trial of the Emergency Alerts service, with a whopping 87 million mobiles set to buzz with a life-saving drill. Labour’s shiny new administration confirmed the plan post-Christmas cheer, but they’re keeping the date under wraps.
Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, piped up about the need for regular checks: “Most countries that have this system test it quite regularly and so we don’t want it just to be once years ago and then everybody forgets it exists.”
He insisted, “This should be part of our armoury in warning people about major risks.”
If you’ve got an Android phone and fancy getting a jump on things, govU.K. has the lowdown: you might snag an alert if you’ve got operator test alerts switched on – but chill, it’s not the real deal, just a heads-up sans action needed, reports Birmingham Live.
“This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.”
“This is a test. You do not need to take any action. Most countries that have this system test it quite regularly and so we don’t want it just to be once years ago and then everybody forgets it exists.”
“This should be part of our armoury in warning people about major risks. You may get this alert if you have an Android phone that has operator test alerts turned on.”
“These operator tests are not alerting you of real danger. These alerts will always have ‘operator’ in the title and will confirm that no action is needed. If you get an operator test alert, your phone may make a loud siren-like sound for about 10 seconds, unless it’s on silent.”
To halt the influx of operator test alerts, delve into your phone’s settings and look for ’emergency alerts’. Once there, switch off both ‘test alerts’ and ‘operator alerts’.
If these options are not visible, open your phone’s calling app, punch in *#*#2627#*#* on the keypad, then revisit your settings to turn off ‘test alerts’ and ‘operator alerts’. Should you still be plagued by operator test alerts, it’s time to reach out to your phone manufacturer for assistance.
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