Government emergency alert rules as you may want to check your phone settings

LifestyleTechnologyAn emergency alert was sent out last weekNicholas Dawson13:39, 17 Aug 2026Millions of people were surprised last week by an emergency message to their mobile phones from the Government. These notifications override the silent or 'Do not disturb' settings in your phone, making a loud alarm sound as you get the message.‌The reason for last week's message was to notify people about the national risk of wildfires. People were instructed in the alert to "not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks". But there have been criticisms that this was an inappropriate use of the emergency messaging system. If you do would prefer not to receive these messages from the Government, you can switch them off