The AMBER Alert system is a vital tool for locating and rescuing abducted children in your area. Statistics from the U.S. government show that this system has successfully recovered 1,029 children across all participating regions, with 87 rescues attributed to Wireless Emergency Alerts.
The AMBER Alert system remains one of the most effective resources for reporting and rescuing abducted children. As of December 2023, the U.S. government reports that 1,186 children have been rescued thanks to the AMBER program, which was launched in 1996. Fortunately, modern mobile devices and wearables come preconfigured with AMBER alerts and other emergency notifications, ensuring prompt alerts when a child goes missing.
However, AMBER and emergency notifications can be quite disruptive and may occur at any time of the day. If you wish to disable these alerts, we can guide you through the process on both iPhone and Android devices.
How to turn off AMBER alerts on iPhone
AMBER alerts fall under Government Alerts, alongside Emergency Alerts and Public Safety Alerts, on modern iPhones such as the iPhone 15 when using AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon as carriers.
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Step 2: Tap on Notifications.
Step 3: Scroll down and toggle off AMBER Alerts under Government Alerts. Repeat the step to re-enable the feature or turn off other alerts as needed.
How to turn off AMBER alerts on Android
On Android 12 and 13 devices, access the AMBER Alert interface in the new emergency safety sub-menu available on modern Android devices.
Step 1: Locate and open the Settings app on your phone.
Step 2: Scroll to the Safety and Emergency sub-menu.
Step 3: Navigate to Wireless Emergency Alerts.
Step 4: Toggle off AMBER alerts if desired.
Repeat the steps to re-enable this feature or disable other alerts in the future.
What are AMBER alerts?
Although it may be tempting to disable alerts and notifications, understanding why they are enabled in the first place is crucial. AMBER alerts, which stand for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, are issued by the U.S. Government to signal a missing person, severe weather event, or other emergencies.
While turning off these alerts may reduce notification fatigue, information typically covered by AMBER alerts can still be accessed through search engines and social media platforms.
It’s important to note that even if you disable AMBER alerts, you will still receive other emergency alerts on your phone, like the national test conducted by the FCC and FEMA on October 4, 2023. To disable these alerts, you will need to turn off Government Alerts on iPhone and Allow alerts under Wireless emergency alerts on Android.
While keeping emergency alerts enabled is advisable, these steps will guide you if you ever need to disable them.
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