Alert

[LollieB]

Can anyone tell me why my husbands phone just blared an alert of some kind. (Never heard before).  It sounded like a ship horn. Extremely loud.  It bellowed three times.  Quit laughing .  It scared me to death, woke the whole house up, and my pit bulls are still shaking.  I don't want it to happen again!

[Weth · Accepted solution]

Sounds like a wireless emergency alert that is required on all new phones the last several years. Since people may be using the radio or TV less and on their phone, such as streaming music in a car, or they cancelled cable service at home, the Federal Government came up with a way, in conjunction with cellular companies, to send pinpointed emergency alerts (like the emergency alert system you hear on TV and radio) to cell phones.

There are 3 levels of alerts

1) Amber alert for missing person with leads of whereabouts in your area

2) Imminent Danger Alerts such as Tornado warning, other weather warning, or civil alerts such as warnings for terrorist threat.

3) Presidential Alert - Severe alert of national concern authorized by the president (has never been used) - think imminent attack, missiles, asteroid, aliens

Most phones allow you to turn off #1 and #2, but by law #3 cannot be turned off. Amber alerts in the middle of the night can be annoying, but I keep it on in case I really need to be notified of a #2 alert of any type, may save life and limb.

Emergency Alerts | Ready.gov

Wireless Emergency Alerts FAQs | Verizon Wireless

[LollieB]

He has an olderl flip phone.  He doesn't have data.  I have the same phone, both Verizon.  Mine didn't go off.  My sons didn't go off, and he has a new phone.  I'm really upset with this. Could it have been a different phone?

[Weth]

You don't need data, it doesn't need to be a smartphone, basic phones, including flip phones are on the list of supported devices. It works through text messaging service, so no data needed. It is the only thing I know that will cause a phone to screech out like that. The first time you hear it, it is startling, which is how it was designed.

I agree it is a bit perplexing on why only one phone went off. I still say that is what it was until proven otherwise. A message should have shown on the screen.

Wireless Emergency Alert Capable Devices | Verizon Wireless