Domestic abuse victims reminded to disable emergency alert if they have secret phone
The government's testing an emergency alert system on UK phones at 3pm
A domestic abuse support group in West Mercia 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.
'Puts them in danger'
Sue Coleman, Chief Executive at West Mercia Women's Aid said the alert could put those experiencing domestic abuse in danger, if they have a secret phone:
"The alert will give the game away that they have a hidden phone. The partner will know they have been doing something that they cannot control, which puts them in danger.
"It is incredibly important that women have contact with the outside world, if they are in an abusive relationship," she said.
Why do domestic abuse victims have hidden phones?
Sue explained why victims of domestic abuse may have a secret phone in the first place:
"In an abusive relationship, a partner will want to restrict their contact with the outside world so that it is hard for someone to help them. So, they may take their phone off them.
"Or, their phone might be very tightly controlled by their partner, in that case they may have a secret phone so they can speak to their friends or family without their partner knowing."
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'