What emergency alerts are and why your iPhone has them
Emergency alerts are messages sent by government agencies — usually your county or state — to warn you about when ready dangers like severe weather, missing children, or public safety threats. Your iPhone receives these through the wireless network, not through a carrier plan or app. They arrive as pop-up notifications that interrupt what you're doing, and you cannot turn off the alert itself once it starts broadcasting in your area.
The alerts come in three types: Presidential Alerts (which you cannot disable), Imminent Threat Alerts (severe weather, hazmat spills, active shooters), and Child Abduction Alerts (AMBER Alerts). Most people want Imminent Threat and AMBER Alerts turned on so they know about dangers affecting their when ready area. The settings let you choose which ones reach you.
Unlike regular notifications, emergency alerts bypass your Do Not Disturb setting and sound even when your phone is silent. This is intentional — the system assumes you want to know if a tornado is approaching or a child is missing nearby, regardless of what you're doing.
Key Takeaways
- Emergency alerts are sent by government agencies and arrive as interrupting pop-ups; you control which types you receive but not whether they interrupt you once they're broadcasting.
- Open Settings, tap Notifications, scroll to the bottom, and tap Emergency Alerts to see your three options: Presidential Alerts (always on), Imminent Threat Alerts, and AMBER Alerts.
- Imminent Threat Alerts warn of severe weather and public safety dangers in your area; AMBER Alerts notify you of missing children; both are off by default and must be turned on manually.
- Emergency alerts sound and display even when your phone is on silent or in Do Not Disturb mode, and this behavior cannot be changed.
- If you do not see the Emergency Alerts option in Settings, your carrier or iOS version may not support it, or you may need to update your phone.
Finding the Emergency Alerts setting in Settings
Open the Settings app on your home screen. Tap Notifications — it is usually near the top of the list, with a bell icon. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Notifications screen. You will see a section labeled Emergency Alerts with three toggles beneath it.
If you do not see Emergency Alerts at the bottom of Notifications, your iPhone model or iOS version may not support the feature. iPhones running iOS 6 or later can receive emergency alerts, but the settings menu appeared in later versions. Check that you are running the latest iOS by going to Settings > General > Software Update. If you are fully updated and still do not see the option, your carrier may not have activated emergency alerts in your region.
Turning on Imminent Threat Alerts
In the Emergency Alerts section, the first toggle is Imminent Threat Alerts. This is off by default. Tap the toggle to turn it on — it will turn green and show a checkmark. Once enabled, your iPhone will receive warnings about severe weather (tornadoes, flash floods, extreme heat), hazardous materials spills, and active threats like armed suspects or shooters in your area.
These alerts come from the National Weather Service and local law enforcement. They are location-based, meaning you only receive them for the area where your phone is currently connected to the network. If you travel to another state or county, you will receive alerts for that location instead. The alerts arrive as full-screen notifications with a loud sound, even if your phone is silent.
Turning on AMBER Alerts
The second toggle in Emergency Alerts is AMBER Alerts, also off by default. Tap it to turn on. AMBER Alerts notify you when a child has been abducted and law enforcement believes the child is in when ready danger. The alert includes a description of the child, the suspected abductor, and often a vehicle description.
Like Imminent Threat Alerts, AMBER Alerts are location-based and will only reach you if the abduction occurred in or near your current area. You cannot filter AMBER Alerts by age of child or other criteria — if one is issued nearby, you will receive it. These alerts also bypass silent mode and Do Not Disturb.
Understanding Presidential Alerts (always on)
The third option in Emergency Alerts is Presidential Alerts, and it has no toggle — it is always on and cannot be disabled. Presidential Alerts are messages from the President of the United States about national emergencies. They are extremely rare; most people never receive one. Because they cannot be turned off, you do not need to do anything with this setting.
The reason Presidential Alerts cannot be disabled is federal law. The Wireless Emergency Alerts system was designed so that the President can reach all Americans when ready in a true national crisis. You will see this option in your Emergency Alerts menu, but you have no control over it.
What happens after you turn alerts on
Once you enable Imminent Threat Alerts or AMBER Alerts, your iPhone is ready to receive them. You do not need to do anything else — no registration, no app read, no confirmation. The alerts will arrive automatically based on your location and the broadcasts happening in your area.
When an alert arrives, your phone will display a full-screen notification with a loud sound, vibration, and often a map showing the affected area. You can read the alert, tap for more details, or dismiss it by tapping a button. The alert will also appear in your Notification Center for a period of time so you can review it later.
If you change your mind and want to turn alerts off, return to Settings > Notifications > Emergency Alerts and toggle them off the same way you turned them on. This takes effect when ready.
Troubleshooting if alerts are not arriving
If you have turned on Imminent Threat Alerts or AMBER Alerts but are not receiving them, check a few things. First, confirm that your iPhone is connected to a cellular network (not just Wi-Fi) — emergency alerts require a cell signal. Second, make sure you are in an area where alerts are actually being issued; if there is no severe weather or missing child alert in your region, you will not receive one.
Third, verify that you have the latest iOS installed. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates. Fourth, restart your iPhone by powering it off and back on. If alerts are still not arriving after these steps, contact your carrier to confirm they support emergency alerts in your area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off the sound that comes with emergency alerts?
No. Emergency alerts bypass your silent mode, Do Not Disturb setting, and notification sound preferences. The system is designed this way so you cannot accidentally miss a warning about a tornado or missing child. If you turn off the alert type itself (Imminent Threat or AMBER), you will not receive any notification at all.
Will I get emergency alerts if I am out of my home state?
Yes. Emergency alerts are location-based and tied to your phone's cellular connection, not your home address. If you travel to another state or county, you will receive alerts for that location. This is useful when traveling because you will know about local weather threats or missing children in the area where you actually are.
Do emergency alerts use my data plan or cost money?
No. Emergency alerts are broadcast messages sent by government agencies and do not count against your data plan or incur any charges. They arrive through the cellular network the same way your phone receives signal.
What is the difference between an emergency alert and a regular notification?
Emergency alerts are sent by government agencies and interrupt your phone with a full-screen notification and loud sound, even if your phone is silent. Regular notifications are from apps and respect your silent mode and Do Not Disturb settings. Emergency alerts cannot be customized or silenced once they start broadcasting in your area.
Can I get emergency alerts on my Apple Watch?
Emergency alerts appear on your Apple Watch if it is paired with your iPhone and your iPhone receives the alert. The watch will vibrate and display the notification, but the alert originates from your iPhone's cellular connection, not the watch itself.