Advice to disable emergency alert for Cornwall domestic abuse victims
The government's testing an emergency alert system on UK phones at 3pm
A charity supporting victims of domestic and sexual abuse in Cornwall is reminding victims to disable emergency alerts on their phone, if they have a secret mobile.
The government's testing an emergency alert system on UK phones at 3pm today (7th Sept).
What is an 'emergency alert'?
The purpose of the alert is to warn people when there's a danger to life nearby, including severe weather events like storms or flooding.
It means most mobile phones and tablets across the UK will receive a test message, accompanied by a loud siren-like sound and vibration that will last for about 10 seconds.
Since the first national test in April 2023, the system has sent five real alerts during major storms when lives were genuinely at risk.
Beth Williams, spokesperson at Women's Centre Cornwall, said: "We're raising awareness about the alert system when all mobile phones and some tablets, with sim cards, will sound a loud siren alarm and vibrate for around 10 seconds, even if your phone is on silent or do not disturb.
"It's really important that people with abusive partners understand it could cause a risk, if they have a hidden device."
Why do domestic abuse victims have hidden phones?
Beth explained why victims of domestic abuse may have a secret phone in the first place:
"Some survivors living with the impact of domestic abuse may have hidden phones for various reasons. Perpetrators may control or monitor their texts and calls or install tracking apps.
"For some women, a second phone is a lifeline for them in an emergency and in some situations, their partner might isolate them in an abusive relationship.
"We're advising that women can do certain things to opt out by turning off notifications."
How to disable the emergency alert on your phone...
On iPhone:
- Go to settings and select 'notifications'
- Scroll to the bottom
- Turn off 'extreme alerts' and 'severe alerts'
On Android:
- Search for 'emergency alerts' in settings
- Turn off 'severe alerts' and 'extreme alerts'