On Sunday 7 September 2025 at 3pm, the government will be running a second national test of the Emergency Alerts system. You might remember the one that previously took place on Sunday 23 April 2023.
Emergency Alerts is a UK government system that will warn you and provide you with advice if there is a danger to life nearby. Here’s how to manage the test for people who use hearing devices connected to their mobile phones.
What to expect during the test
During the test, your mobile phone or tablet may make a loud siren-like sound (even if it’s on silent). Or it might vibrate, or read out the alert. The test’s sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
In 2023, we asked the government how loud the emergency alert will be. They said:
The volume of the alert will be the maximum allowed by the phone. If the phone is set to silent, it will be maximum volume possible on the individual’s phone.”
This may be uncomfortable for people using hearing devices that connect to a phone via Bluetooth, people wearing headphones, and people with tinnitus, people with hyperacusis, or who are sensitive to sound.
Protect your hearing from emergency alert volumes
If you are concerned about the volume of these alerts, you could:
- Avoid wearing headphones
- Disconnect your hearing aids from Bluetooth
- Avoid being too close to your device
- Avoid crowded spaces where the noise may be amplified by multiple devices
- Deactivate the alert in your phone’s settings. Find instructions on how to do this for different devices.
Deactivating the alert
You may want to deactivate the alert for the test to avoid discomfort, but we would encourage you to have the alerts switched on the rest of the time as the alerts contain life-saving information.
You can opt out of emergency alerts if needed, for example, victims of domestic abuse with a concealed phone may find it necessary to turn off alerts.