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I knew it was scheduled, today's FEMA alert, so I went into my settings and made sure all of the emergency alerts were turned off. The list is AMBER, Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, and Test Alerts. So why have the option to turn off if they are not actually turned off?
iPhone 13 Pro
(Likely) Because it was a nationwide test to ensure the system is working. You have a real issue if it does it during real emergency alerts and Amber Alerts etc. For more than a week I have seen warnings about the test alert coming today and advising those that absolutely didn’t want to experience it to power off their devices during that test frame (not idea for some of course). But even on Apple’s page about alerts it points out that in some countries and regions you can’t turn off government alerts. This government alert that was to make sure it was working properly is likely one you could not turn off.
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_ipaws-2023-national-periodic-test-faqs.pdf
Look at page 2. The last part says that your settings would not affect 2023 National test…so this is why you still heard it. Has absolutely nothing ti do with Apple. Literally lasted a few seconds. Startling sure. Annoying maybe. But it really shouldn’t be that serious. Seems like most people should have been aware it was coming today anyway since mentions have occurred for the last few weeks all over the internet and social media
(Likely) Because it was a nationwide test to ensure the system is working. You have a real issue if it does it during real emergency alerts and Amber Alerts etc. For more than a week I have seen warnings about the test alert coming today and advising those that absolutely didn’t want to experience it to power off their devices during that test frame (not idea for some of course). But even on Apple’s page about alerts it points out that in some countries and regions you can’t turn off government alerts. This government alert that was to make sure it was working properly is likely one you could not turn off.
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_ipaws-2023-national-periodic-test-faqs.pdf
Look at page 2. The last part says that your settings would not affect 2023 National test…so this is why you still heard it. Has absolutely nothing ti do with Apple. Literally lasted a few seconds. Startling sure. Annoying maybe. But it really shouldn’t be that serious. Seems like most people should have been aware it was coming today anyway since mentions have occurred for the last few weeks all over the internet and social media
You can't stop government mandated alerts like today's test. Even if you had turned off alerts, your carrier was required by the government to deliver the alert. If you aren't happy about this, contact your elected officials. You know, the ones you voted for.
You seem to love blaming Apple for something they have no control over. The government requires specific access from all phone makers. Repeat, all of them.
That access is required in order for everyone to receive emergency messages, such as an imminent attack, or other major incidences.
This test is a once every three years requirement. I'm sure you can hold it together for three years until the next national emergency system test.
Paul Melzer wrote:
I don’t blame Apple for anything. You got up on the wrong side of the bed.
"Or is this just a false option that Apple includes for us to feel good until we learn otherwise."
You explicitly blamed Apple for this. You accused them of falsely providing an option that intentionally doesn’t work, i.e. you implied a conspiracy theory about Apple’s motives.
Okay. Let me rephrase my response to yours. I don’t “love blaming Apple,” but I am not averse to finding faults from time to time over the past several decades of using their products. Your response struck me as overly negative when you added “you can hold it together for three years…” thus my suggestion to get up on a better side of the bed. There were several answers to my post (and yes, the “alert” came at a terrible time for me and I did not know that despite turning off all emergency alerts and test alerts, that it would sound anyway) that were clear, measured, and with no elements of derision. And I appreciate them. This will be last comment here, a thread of little value, of which I am responsible, alas.
Why did I get a FEMA alert despite having all emergency alerts turned off?
Did you see the information stating that the settings on your phone will not affect the National Test? In other words, it does not matter what settings were present on your phone.
Hey there,
I understand you have an issue with emergency alerts. Trust me, I hate them too. However you cannot silence alerts from the government. If the government issued an alert to your area, you will hear it regardless of if you silenced it. You however have the ability to silence critical alerts from apps. Apple is not responsible for if the government wants to blow your phone up (not literally), because they have the legal right to do that 😂. Trust me, the only reason I leave those vomit-invoking alerts on is because they could save my life one day. So in summary, you can silence alerts from apps, but not the government.
Hope I helped.
Okay, I do have to agree my response was a bit short.
As noted already, the government has the overall authority to break in on all bandwidths to present emergency broadcasts.
Watching a basketball game and a potential game winning buzzer-beater is in the air? The government doesn't care. They will break in on all frequencies on all stations (OTA TV, cable, radio, etc.) to broadcast an emergency message no matter what else is going on.
Minor, but somewhat interesting information. There was never a channel 1 on original broadcast TV because that was reserved exclusively for government information. I imagine the government still has a reserved frequency, I just don't know if they're still holding on to the original, or if they switched due to the larger bandwidth digital requires.
Have to wonder what the “emergency” and “test” alerts are that are actually turned off. Or is this just a false option that Apple includes for us to feel good until we learn otherwise.
Apple has no choice in the matter. It’s a matter of law. You can not disable the emergency alerts. If you don’t like it, complain to your senator and congress-critter.
I don’t blame Apple for anything. You got up on the wrong side of the bed.
No, you were quite explicit:
Or is this just a false option that Apple includes for us to feel good until we learn otherwise.
Why did I get a FEMA alert despite having all emergency alerts turned off?
