You can receive emergency and government alerts on your iPhone and Apple Watch. In the event of an emergency, here's what you might see:
- Alerts issued by your country or region's government
- Alerts involving imminent threats to safety or life
- Alerts for extreme weather conditions
- AMBER alerts (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response)*
*AMBER alerts aren't available in all countries or regions.
Turn Government Alerts on or off
By default, Government Alerts are turned on for your device.* When you receive a government alert, you hear a special sound that's similar to an alarm. If you want to turn these alerts on or off, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Notifications.
- Scroll to the very bottom of the screen.
- Under Government Alerts, turn the type of alert on or off.*
*Government Alerts are supported when using a SIM card from a supported carrier. Your Apple Watch can receive these alerts if your iPhone can receive them and is nearby, or your Apple Watch is on a Wi-Fi network. With a cellular plan from a supported carrier, your Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + cellular) can receive these alerts without your iPhone nearby. For more information, contact your carrier.
*In some countries, you may not be able to disable Government Alerts.
Learn more
Learn how to set up emergency alerts for Japan.