UK emergency alerts: How to stay safe

A nationwide test of the UK’s emergency alert service will take place at 3pm on Sunday 7 September 2025. The alerts will warn you if there’s a danger to life nearby, such as flooding or fires.
However, we are concerned about the potential safety risks to survivors who may be keeping their phones hidden from an abuser, as the alert is a loud, siren-like sound with a screen message and vibration.
Survivors can opt out from receiving emergency alerts to avoid their device from being detected. Emergency Alerts will be sent to compatible mobile phones within an area of risk. Emergency alerts work on:
  • iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later
  • Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later
The alert may still be received on earlier versions of Android. To check, search your device settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
How to opt out on iPhones and Android phones.
To opt out:
  1. Search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
  2. Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.
Other mobile phones and tablets.
Depending on the manufacturer and software version of your phone, emergency alerts settings may be called different names, such as ‘wireless emergency alerts’ or ‘emergency broadcasts’.
The settings can usually be found in one of the following ways.
Go to:
  • ‘message’, then ‘message settings, then ‘wireless emergency alerts’, then ‘alert’
  • ‘settings’, then ‘sounds’, then ‘advanced’, then ‘emergency broadcasts’
  • ‘settings’, then ‘general settings’, then ‘emergency alerts’
Then turn off ‘severe alerts’, ‘extreme alerts’ and ‘test alerts’.

Young Persons Violence Advisor

Available until July 2025

We support children and young people aged 16-25 who have been affected by domestic abuse.

Abuse can be from someone you are in a relationship with, or have been in a relationship with, it can also be from a family member. It can also happen after the relationship has ended. We can support you to make safer choices in your relationships.

YPVA’s provide one-on-one support to young people, helping them understand their experiences and offering guidance on how to stay safe. They advocate on behalf of the young person, ensuring their needs are met and their voices are heard.

YPVA’s educate young people about healthy relationships, consent, and the dynamics of domestic abuse. YPVA’s assess the risk levels of the young person and work with young people to develop personalised safety plans, which may include strategies for staying safe at home, school/college/work, and in the community.

YPVAs offer emotional support, helping young people process their experiences and build resilience.

Spotting The Signs of Domestic Abuse

  • Do they constantly put you down?
  • Do they make you feel stupid or worthless?
  • Do they play mind games that make you doubt your judgement?
  • Do they control your money or make sure you are dependent on them for everyday things?
  • Do they tell you how you should spend your own money?
  • Do they pressure you into having sex when you don’t want to?
  • Do you feel you can’t say “no” to doing things sexually?