You can turn off Amber Alerts in Settings, but understand what you're choosing
Amber Alerts are emergency notifications sent to all phones in a region when a child is believed to be in when ready danger from abduction. On iPhone, they arrive as loud, full-screen interruptions separate from your regular notifications. You can disable them entirely in Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts, where you'll find a toggle for "AMBER Alerts" — turning it off stops all of them from reaching your phone.
Before you disable them, know what you're trading away. Amber Alerts have a narrow, specific purpose: they broadcast details of a missing child and a suspected vehicle to thousands of people at once, on the theory that a stranger might spot the car or child and call police. They're not marketing, not a scam, and not a mistake. The trade-off is real: you lose the chance to be that person who sees something, in exchange for uninterrupted phone use during the alert.
This is a choice only you can make about your own phone and your own tolerance for interruption. The guide below shows you exactly how to make it, and what the different options actually do.
Key Takeaways
- Amber Alerts toggle on or off in Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts, and the setting applies to your entire phone.
- Turning off Amber Alerts stops all emergency child abduction alerts from reaching you, but does not affect weather warnings or other emergency notifications.
- You can disable Amber Alerts without disabling Emergency Alerts (which warn of imminent threats like tsunamis or tornadoes).
- The alert will still reach other people in your area even if you turn it off on your phone.
Where to find the Amber Alerts setting
Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Notifications, then scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap Government Alerts. You will see three toggles: Emergency Alerts, AMBER Alerts, and Public Safety Alerts. Each one controls a different type of emergency notification.
The AMBER Alerts toggle is the middle one. It is currently on (green) if you have never changed it. Tap it once to turn it off (gray). That's the entire process — no confirmation screen, no second step. The change takes effect when ready.
What each government alert toggle actually does
Emergency Alerts warn of imminent threats to life: tsunamis, tornadoes, flash floods, extreme wind, nuclear hazards, or civil emergencies. These arrive as loud, full-screen interruptions and cannot be silenced while they are on screen. Most people leave this on because the threats are when ready and affect everyone in the area. Turning it off means you won't know a tornado is coming until you see it or hear a siren.
AMBER Alerts notify you of a child believed to be in when ready danger from abduction. They include the child's name and age, a description of the suspected abductor, and details of the vehicle (make, color, license plate if known). The alert asks the public to call 911 if they see the vehicle. These also arrive as loud, full-screen interruptions. You can turn this off without affecting Emergency Alerts.
Public Safety Alerts warn of other serious threats: missing persons (not just children), dangerous criminals at large, or hazardous materials incidents. These are less common than the other two and also arrive as full-screen notifications. You can disable this separately from the other two.
Why Amber Alerts interrupt the way they do
Amber Alerts use the same delivery system as Emergency Alerts because speed and reach matter when a child's life may depend on it. The alert goes to every phone in the region at the same moment, overrides your volume and vibration settings, and forces itself onto your screen. This is intentional: the system assumes that if you're getting this alert, you need to see it when ready, and that a missed alert could mean a missed sighting.
The flip side is that Amber Alerts can be frequent in urban areas, especially during rush hour when more vehicles are on the road and more people are looking. A single alert might reach hundreds of thousands of phones. If you live in a major city, you may receive several per month. If you live in a rural area, you might receive one every few years.
What happens if you turn off Amber Alerts
Your phone will no longer receive Amber Alerts. You won't see them on your lock screen, won't hear the alert tone, and won't get a notification in your notification center. The alert will still be broadcast to everyone else in your area — turning it off on your phone doesn't stop the system from sending it.
If you change your mind later, go back to Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts and tap the AMBER Alerts toggle again to turn it back on. There is no penalty for turning it on and off as often as you want.
Alternatives if you want to keep alerts but reduce interruption
You cannot silence an Amber Alert while it is on screen — the system is designed to force your attention. However, you can reduce how often they reach you by adjusting your location settings. Amber Alerts are sent based on your phone's location, so if you keep Location Services off most of the time and turn it on only when you need it, you'll receive fewer alerts (though you may miss some if you're in an area when an alert is issued).
Another option is to use Do Not Disturb or Focus modes. These do not block Amber Alerts from arriving, but they do silence the tone and vibration while the alert is on screen. The alert will still appear as a full-screen notification that you must dismiss, but it won't make noise. To set this up, go to Settings > Focus, create a new Focus (or edit an existing one), and make sure Government Alerts are not listed under "Allow Notifications From" — this ensures the alert will still reach you but won't trigger sound or vibration.
Why some people turn Amber Alerts off
The most common reason is frequency. In cities like Los Angeles, Houston, or Chicago, Amber Alerts can arrive several times per week, especially during summer months when more children are outside. For people who work in jobs where a sudden loud alert is disruptive — surgery, teaching, customer service — the interruption becomes a real cost.
Some people turn them off because they've received alerts for vehicles they know they'll never see (a silver sedan on a highway 50 miles away, during a time they're indoors). Others turn them off because they don't believe they're likely to spot a vehicle in traffic, and they prefer to let law enforcement do the work.
None of these reasons are wrong. The choice to disable Amber Alerts is a personal decision about your own phone and your own risk tolerance. You're not harming the system by turning it off, and you're not obligated to keep it on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off Amber Alerts but keep Emergency Alerts on?
Yes. The three government alert toggles are independent. You can turn off AMBER Alerts while leaving Emergency Alerts and Public Safety Alerts on. Go to Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts and toggle only the AMBER Alerts switch off.
Will turning off Amber Alerts affect my phone's other notifications?
No. Disabling Amber Alerts does not change how text messages, calls, app notifications, or any other alerts reach your phone. It only affects government emergency broadcasts.
If I turn off Amber Alerts, can I turn them back on later?
Yes, anytime. Go back to Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts and tap the AMBER Alerts toggle to turn it back on. You can switch it on and off as many times as you want with no consequences.
Do Amber Alerts work the same way on iPad or Apple Watch?
Amber Alerts on iPad follow the same settings path (Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts). On Apple Watch, government alerts are controlled by your iPhone settings — you cannot turn them off separately on the watch. If you disable Amber Alerts on your iPhone, your watch won't receive them either.
Why did I get an Amber Alert for a place I don't live?
Amber Alerts are sent to all phones in a geographic region, not based on where you live. If you were traveling, at work in another city, or near a state border, you might receive an alert for an area you don't live in. The system uses your phone's location at the moment the alert is issued, not your home address.