How to switch off emergency alert and who should opt out of siren that will override your phone in days

AN emergency alert which will sound a loud siren and override Brits' phones is set to go off in a matter of days.

Now, police and domestic abuse campaigners have offered advice to people who fear the alert will impact their safety.

A siren and message is due to go off at 3pm on St George's Day, April 23, with people’s phones locked until they acknowledge the warning.

It will give a sound and vibration for 10 seconds - even if you set your device to silent.

iPhone and Android users using 4G and 5G will have to acknowledge the alert before they can continue using their devices.

But cops and Women's Aid have revealed their fears that domestic abuse survivors who keep a secret phone hidden may become endangered as a result.

The charity has now given a breakdown on how such people can keep themselves safe - by turning the alert off.

said for people who have an iPhone they should go into their settings and search for 'emergency alerts'.

They should then turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘emergency alerts'.

It is the same process for Android users, however on some devices you may also have to turn off ‘extreme threats’, ‘severe threats’ and ‘show amber alerts’.

West Mercia Police also created by Refuge that gives a step-by-step guide on how to turn the alerts off.

It wrote: "If you’re a domestic abuse survivor with a concealed phone, the alert could reveal your phone, even if it’s on silent.

"Watch Refuge's video on how to opt-out."

Sunday's emergency alert will read: "This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby.

"In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

"Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.

"This is a test. You do not need to take any action."

Drivers are being urged not to pick up their phones if the emergency alert goes off while they're on the road.

Touching your phone while driving could see you slapped with a £200 fine and six points on your licence.

The alarm will go off during the London Marathon and the Premier League games Bournemouth vs West Ham and Newcastle vs Tottenham.

Chief Fire Officer Alex Woodman said: "We must use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe, and we need everyone to play their part, and the new Emergency Alerts system is one way we can do this.

"For 10 seconds, the national test may be inconvenient for some, but it’s important, because the next time you hear it, your life, and the life-saving actions of our emergency services, could depend on it."