The Indian government, in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunication, has initiated trials of the emergency alert system within India. Today, numerous users across the country received a test alert on their Android smartphones.
Significance of Wireless Emergency Alerts
Wireless emergency alerts form a vital component of the emergency notification framework. This tool allows the government, with support from the telecommunications department, to inform users about impending natural disasters or emergency situations. The objective is to preemptively notify individuals during calamities, potentially saving lives by providing advance warnings.
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These alerts prove beneficial not only during natural disasters but also in scenarios like wartime or other critical emergencies. They could have played a pivotal role in disseminating information and advisories during the Covid-19 pandemic as well. Consider them akin to the contemporary equivalent of radio or television emergency broadcasts, tailored for smartphones. This shift is logical as smartphones have gained more prominence compared to traditional mediums like television or radio.
It’s important to note that while emergency alerts are typically activated by default, manual enabling might be necessary. To ascertain or activate this feature, follow these steps:
Steps to Activate Wireless Emergency Alerts on Your Phone
The option for wireless emergency alerts can be found under the Safety and Emergency section within your smartphone’s settings. Observe the subsequent steps to verify or manually switch it on:
- Launch the Settings app on your smartphone.
- Scroll down and select the Safety and Emergency category.
- Locate the Wireless Emergency Alerts option.
- Confirm whether the “Allow alerts” toggle is activated. If not, activate the toggle.
- If the toggle is enabled, assess the activation status of all alert types: Extreme Threats, Severe Threats (currently being tested by the government), AMBER Alerts, Test Alerts, and Area Update Broadcasts. If any are deactivated, activate them to receive a comprehensive array of alerts and broadcasts on your device.
That concludes the process! Going forward, any emergency alerts issued within your region through this system will be transmitted to your smartphone.
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