You can disable most emergency alerts, but the options depend on your phone type and which alerts you want to stop
Emergency alerts come in three categories: AMBER Alerts (missing children), Weather Alerts (severe conditions), and Presidential Alerts (national emergencies). Your phone receives these through the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system, which broadcasts to all phones in a geographic area. On both Android and iPhone, you can turn off AMBER Alerts and Weather Alerts in your phone's settings. Presidential Alerts cannot be disabled — the FCC requires carriers to send these without an off switch, though they are rare.
The trade-off is straightforward: disabling alerts means you won't be interrupted by them, but you also won't receive the warning. Most people disable alerts because they trigger too often in their area, or because the notifications arrive after the event has already passed. If you live in a flood-prone region or near an Amber Alert-heavy area, you might disable them to reduce noise. If you travel frequently or live somewhere with severe weather, you might keep them on.
Key Takeaways
- AMBER Alerts and Weather Alerts can be turned off in your phone's settings; Presidential Alerts cannot be disabled.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts and toggle off the alerts you don't want.
- On Android, the process varies by manufacturer, but usually lives in Settings > Apps & Notifications > Advanced > Emergency Alerts or Wireless Emergency Alerts.
- Disabling alerts stops the interruption but also stops the warning, so consider your actual risk before turning them off.
- Some carriers let you manage alerts through their own apps, which may offer more granular control than your phone's built-in settings.
How to disable alerts on iPhone
Open Settings and tap Notifications. Scroll to the bottom of the list — you will see a section called Government Alerts. Tap it. You will see three toggles: AMBER Alerts, Emergency Alerts, and Public Safety Alerts. Turn off whichever ones you want to stop receiving. Emergency Alerts and Public Safety Alerts are the same thing (the naming is confusing); this is where severe weather warnings and other non-AMBER emergencies arrive. AMBER Alerts are separate.
If you turn off Emergency Alerts, you will not receive weather warnings, flood alerts, or other regional emergencies. If you turn off AMBER Alerts, you will not receive missing child notifications. You can disable one without disabling the other. The changes take effect when ready — you do not need to restart your phone.
How to disable alerts on Android
The exact path depends on your phone's manufacturer. On most Android phones, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Advanced > Emergency Alerts (or Wireless Emergency Alerts). You will see toggles for AMBER Alerts and Emergency Alerts. Turn off whichever you want to stop.
If you have a Samsung phone, the path is Settings > Notifications > Emergency Alerts. If you have a Google Pixel, it is Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications > Emergency Alerts. If you cannot find it in those locations, search your Settings app for "emergency alerts" — the search function will take you directly to the right page. Once you find it, the toggles work the same way as on iPhone.
What happens if you disable alerts and then change your mind
You can turn alerts back on at any time by returning to the same settings page and toggling them back on. There is no waiting period or re-registration required. If you realize you want alerts again after a week or a month, the process is identical to turning them off.
Some people disable alerts temporarily — for example, during a period when false alarms are common in their area, or when they are traveling and do not want alerts from a region they are just passing through. You can disable them for a day and re-enable them the next morning if you want to test whether the interruption is worth the information.
Why you might want to keep alerts on despite the interruption
Emergency alerts interrupt whatever you are doing — they make noise, they light up your screen, and they demand attention. That interruption is intentional. The system is designed to break through because the information is time-sensitive. If you live in an area with frequent severe weather, an AMBER Alert network that actually finds missing children, or a history of flash flooding, the interruption is the point.
If you live in a stable area where alerts are rare, or if you check weather forecasts regularly anyway, disabling them costs you very little. The risk calculation is personal. Someone who commutes by car in a region with sudden weather changes faces a different risk than someone who works indoors in a stable climate.
Carrier-specific alert management
Some carriers offer their own alert apps or settings that sit on top of your phone's built-in system. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular all have apps that can manage alerts. These apps sometimes offer more control — for example, you might be able to set alerts to silent mode rather than fully disabling them, or to receive them as text messages instead of system notifications.
Check your carrier's website or app store to see whether they offer an emergency alerts app. If you install one, it may duplicate your phone's built-in alerts, so you might want to disable one system to avoid getting the same alert twice. Your carrier's support line can tell you whether their app is worth installing for your specific situation.
The difference between disabling alerts and silencing your phone
Putting your phone on silent or Do Not Disturb mode will muffle most notifications, but emergency alerts often bypass these settings. They are designed to get through even when your phone is silent, because the assumption is that you need to know when ready. If you disable the alerts themselves in your settings, they will not come through at all, even if your phone is on full volume.
If you want alerts to come through but you do not want them to interrupt you constantly, your phone's notification settings let you change how they arrive. On iPhone, you can set alerts to deliver quietly or to appear only in your notification center without sound or vibration. On Android, you can set the notification channel to silent or low priority. This gives you the information without the interruption — a middle ground between full alerts and complete disabling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable alerts for only certain types of emergencies?
Yes. You can turn off AMBER Alerts and keep Weather Alerts on, or vice versa. You cannot disable Presidential Alerts. You cannot disable alerts for only your city or county — the system broadcasts to all phones in a geographic area, so you either receive all alerts or none.
Will I get in trouble for disabling emergency alerts?
No. Disabling alerts is entirely legal and is your choice to make. The FCC requires carriers to offer the ability to disable AMBER and Weather Alerts. There is no penalty for turning them off.
What if I disable alerts and then miss an actual emergency?
That is the real trade-off. If you disable weather alerts and a severe storm hits, you will not get a warning from your phone. You would need to check a weather app or news source yourself. This is why the decision depends on your actual situation — if you already monitor weather regularly, the cost is low. If you rely on alerts as your primary warning system, disabling them increases your risk.
Do I need to disable alerts on each device separately?
Yes. If you have an iPhone and an iPad, or multiple Android phones, you must disable alerts on each device individually. The settings do not sync across devices.
Why do emergency alerts sometimes come through even after I disabled them?
If you disabled AMBER Alerts but not Weather Alerts, you will still receive weather warnings. Check your settings to confirm which alerts are actually off. If you disabled both and still receive alerts, restart your phone — sometimes the settings do not take effect until you reboot. If alerts continue after a restart, contact your carrier, as there may be a system issue on their end.