The government is introducing an Emergency Alerts system that will enable people to be contacted via their mobile phones to alert people in emergencies when there is an immediate risk to life.

Reading was part of a pilot last June and this year the alert will be tested nationally to sound on smartphones in the UK on Sunday 23rd April at 3pm across the UK.

Date: Sunday 23rd April 2023

Time: 1500 hours for 10 seconds

The alert will go off on all phones that are switched on, including those that are on silent. Phones can be continued to be used as normal by swiping away the message or pressing ‘OK’.

Find out more at  https://www.gov.uk/alerts

Refuge has released a video with steps of how to switch the alert off on a smartphone, for anyone who has a phone they need to keep hidden to keep safe: