How to turn on emergency alerts on Android and iOS ahead of May 7 mock drill

If you have been on the internet over the last few days, you must be aware that we will be witnessing one of the biggest nation wide mock drills in India in recent history, spanning over 240 districts. During this drill, while the authorities prepare to make sure that you are better informed and equipped to handle emergencies, one of the most important things that you can do in the lead up to this is, turn on emergency alerts on your phone.

So, here we will walk you through the process of turning on emergency alerts on your Android and iOS phones ahead of the May 7 mock drill.

How to turn on emergency alerts on Android?

If you’re using Android 11 or above, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your phone.

Step 2: Search for or navigate to Safety & Emergency or Wireless Emergency Alerts (name may vary slightly by brand).

Step 3: Tap on Wireless Emergency Alerts.

Step 4: Make sure the following are turned ON:

– Extreme threats
– Severe threats
– Public safety alerts

Also, toggle ON:

– Allow alerts
– Alert sound
– Override Do Not Disturb

Quick note: Brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, or OnePlus may name these settings differently. A quick search in Settings should get you there.

How to turn on emergency alerts on iPhone?

If your iPhone runs iOS 17 or later, here’s what to do:

Step 1: Go to Settings and then go to Notifications.

Step 2: Scroll all the way to the bottom until you see Government Alerts.

Step 3: Turn ON both:

– Emergency Alerts
– Public Safety Alerts

Once these are on, your phone will be ready to receive critical alerts, even if you’re watching a video or your phone is on silent.

What will the alerts look like?

These notifications won’t be easy to miss. They’ll likely take over your screen and play a loud alarm tone that cuts through any ongoing activity on your phone. It’s all designed to grab your attention instantly, which is the point in a real emergency.