You can turn off most emergency alerts in your phone's settings, but not all of them
Emergency alerts are messages your phone receives directly from government agencies — usually about severe weather, missing children, or when ready threats to safety. Your phone receives them whether you want them or not, because they bypass your normal notification settings. You can disable most of them through your phone's settings, but the system is designed so you cannot turn off every type. The alerts you can control are called "opt-in" alerts. The ones you cannot turn off are called "presidential alerts," and they exist by federal law.
The exact steps depend on whether you have an iPhone or Android phone, and which version of the operating system you are running. Both let you turn off weather alerts and Amber Alerts (for missing children). Neither lets you turn off presidential alerts, which are reserved for imminent threats to national security or public safety.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts and toggle off Weather Alerts and Amber Alerts individually.
- On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Advanced > Emergency Alerts and uncheck the alert types you do not want.
- Presidential alerts cannot be disabled — they are mandated by federal law and will come through even if you turn off all other alerts.
- Turning off alerts does not affect your phone's ability to receive calls or texts, only the specific government alert system.
- If you turn alerts back on later, the process is the same — just toggle or check the boxes again.
How to disable alerts on iPhone
Open the Settings app and tap Notifications. Scroll down until you see Government Alerts — this section may be near the bottom of the list. Tap Government Alerts to open it.
You will see three toggles: Extreme Weather, Severe Weather, and Amber Alerts. Turn off any or all of them by tapping the toggle switch so it turns gray. If you want to keep receiving some alerts but not others, you can disable only the ones you do not want. There is no toggle for presidential alerts because they cannot be disabled.
The change takes effect when ready. You do not need to restart your phone or confirm the change anywhere else.
How to disable alerts on Android
Open the Settings app. Tap Apps & Notifications or Applications (the exact name varies by phone manufacturer). Look for Emergency Alerts, Wireless Emergency Alerts, or Public Alerts — again, the name depends on your phone model.
Tap that option to open the alert settings. You will see checkboxes for Extreme Threat Alerts, Severe Threat Alerts, and Amber Alerts. Uncheck any box to disable that alert type. Some Android phones also show an option for Test Alerts — you can leave that unchecked so you do not receive test messages from the system.
Save your changes. On most Android phones this happens automatically, but some models ask you to tap a Save or Confirm button at the bottom of the screen.
What you cannot turn off, and why
Presidential alerts are the only alert type that cannot be disabled. These are reserved for the President of the United States to send messages about imminent threats to national security or public safety — for example, an active armed threat or a major natural disaster. They are mandated by federal law and are designed to reach every phone on the network simultaneously.
Because presidential alerts are meant for life-or-death situations, the law does not allow you to opt out. If you turn off all other alert types, a presidential alert will still come through. You will see it as a loud notification with a distinctive sound, and there is no way to silence it in advance.
In practice, presidential alerts are rare. Most people never receive one. The system has been in place since 2010, and it has been used only a handful of times for actual emergencies.
The difference between alert types
| Alert Type | What It Covers | Can You Turn It Off? |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme Weather | Tornadoes, flash floods, severe thunderstorms | Yes |
| Severe Weather | Winter storms, heat warnings, wind advisories | Yes |
| Amber Alerts | Missing or abducted children | Yes |
| Presidential Alerts | Imminent threats to national security or public safety | No |
What happens when you turn alerts off
Turning off emergency alerts only affects the government alert system. Your phone will still receive calls, texts, and regular notifications from apps. Your carrier will still be able to reach you in emergencies through normal phone service. You are only opting out of the specific broadcast system that sends alerts to all phones in a geographic area at once.
If you turn alerts back on later, you use the same steps — just toggle the switches back on or check the boxes again. There is no waiting period or re-registration process.
Why you might want to keep alerts on
Emergency alerts reach your phone even when it is in silent mode, on Do Not Disturb, or when your screen is locked. They are designed to interrupt you because the information is time-sensitive. If you live in an area prone to severe weather or flash flooding, keeping weather alerts on means you get a warning even if you are not actively checking your phone.
Amber Alerts work the same way — they notify you when ready if a child goes missing in your area, which can help you spot the child or the vehicle involved. Many people keep Amber Alerts on even if they turn off weather alerts, because the alerts are infrequent and the stakes are high.
The trade-off is that you will receive notifications at any time, including the middle of the night. If that bothers you, turning off the alert types you do not need is a reasonable choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off alerts affect my phone bill or data plan?
No. Emergency alerts do not use your data plan or count against any limits. They are sent through a separate system that your carrier operates independently of regular phone service.
Can I turn off alerts for only certain types of weather?
Not with precision. On both iPhone and Android, you can turn off Extreme Weather and Severe Weather separately, but you cannot choose to receive alerts for tornadoes but not thunderstorms, for example. You either receive all extreme weather alerts or none.
What if I turn off alerts and then change my mind?
Go back to the same settings menu and toggle the alerts back on. The process is identical. You do not need to contact your carrier or do anything else to re-enable them.
Do I have to turn off alerts on every device I own?
Yes. Alert settings are stored on each phone individually. If you have both an iPhone and an Android phone, you will need to disable alerts separately on each one.
Can my carrier turn off my alerts without my permission?
No. Only you can change your alert settings. Your carrier cannot disable them remotely, and neither can anyone else with access to your account.