How To Turn Off Amber Alerts On Android And iPhone

How to turn off amber alerts? If a child goes missing in your area, luckily, you will receive an AMBER alert on your smartphone.

These alerts are beneficial because they spread essential information among the community. And you have a greater chance of finding a missing person.

But they can also be disturbing if you receive them at four in the morning or during any business meeting.

It is advised to turn on these alerts all the time, but if you need to turn them off, here is how you can do it.

turn off amber alerts

What Exactly Is an AMBER Alert?

AMBER alert system was developed in 1996. It was done by the Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters and a team of local police.

The aim was to develop an early warning system for public safety alerts to help find abducted children.

AMBER stood for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. And was created in the legacy to 9 years old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted and then murdered brutally.

Other states soon set up their AMBER alert system because the idea was taken across the nation.

The AMBER alert system provides information about the missing child. And also about the suspected kidnapper. It helps to find the missing child by spreading important information among society.

AMBER stands for

Amber alerts are one of the tools that can be used by law enforcement in severe cases of kidnapping. And other types of crime that are similar to that criteria.

Another protocol that is used by law enforcement. They use it in abduction cases as a wireless emergency alert program, which Federal Emergency Management Agency administers. Amber alerts can be issued across the country and the states.

And it is remarkable that today, Amber alert is used in all 50 states.

  • The District of Columbia
  • Indian Country
  • Puerto Rico
  • The U.S Virgin Islands
  • And internationally, in 31 countries

Till May 1, 2022, the Amber alert has recovered 1,114 children successfully. And 123 children were rescued because of a wireless emergency alert.

By default, you will receive a notification on your smartphone when the Amber Alert is on in your area. Mostly, devices get a ring even if they are in silent mode. Amber Alerts can be received at any time of the day.

Amber alerts, like other emergency security alerts, may contain vital information. If you are OK with these alerts, you can leave them as they are.

You might not be interested in hearing or seeing such alert sounds. All notifications can easily be turned off on your Android devices.

This article will discuss how you can turn off Amber Alerts on your Android devices if you don’t want to see them. It is a straightforward process.

You can come to know different settings and places of Amber Alerts according to the device model.

What is the AMBER Alert System, and How Does It Work?

The motive behind Amber and other plans is the need to rescue a child within a few hours of the abduction. About these critical hours, officials say:

Each passing minute allows the kidnapper to take the child farther from home. And he gets a chance to harm the child.

The U.S. Department of Justice did a study. It says that 74 percent of children were abducted and found murdered. They were murdered just a few hours after their abduction.

There are almost 90 state and local plans. They are slightly different from each other, but this is how a plan works mostly:

  • It all begins by calling on 911 when a child goes missing. It can then be followed by a phone call to the Amber alerts program.
  • It is confirmed by law enforcement that an abduction has taken place. Amber alerts are not issued for runaways.
  • Then, law enforcement determines whether the person is meeting specific criteria. For example, any child under 18 is harmed. Criteria may vary from plan to plan. Some of the plans only give active alerts for children under 12.
  • Then, the information is collected by law enforcement about the following:
    • Child
    • Kidnapper
    • Vehicle from witnesses
  • Law enforcement contacts the broadcast media, which includes television and radio stations.
  • Now, television and radio stations interrupt their programming. And broadcast the information about the missing child using Emergency Alert System (EAS). It was also known as Emergency Broadcast System (EBS).
  • The newscast then includes child details and relevant information gathered from the witnesses.
  • Then, Law enforcement coordinates with Department of Transportation officials. And information is displayed on electronic highway signs. They do so to increase public awareness of abduction.
  • As the child is located, the Amber alert is deactivated.

Since December 2020, fortunately, the Amber alert has recovered 1029 children.

Amber Alert

Disabling all emergency alerts on your phone

There are several reasons to turn off emergency alerts on Android. However, they are a perfect way to stay updated about news and events.

They are also helpful in keeping you informed during a natural disaster.

You can turn them off if you wish to, and you can also adjust the length of the alerts whether you are concerned about the political nature of the given alert. Or if you would like to disable them at all. It is important to understand how to turn them off.

The first thing you need to understand is how emergency alerts work. They help people by warning them about a dangerous situations.

They give you information about emergency alerts. Such as hurricanes or tornadoes and the latest amber alerts. With all this, you should know how to control the alerts you receive.

Unlike iPhone, Android allows you to customize alerts. You can do so to fit different types of emergencies. For instance, you can set a different frequency. That concerns severe threats or amber alerts.

Disabling all emergency alerts on your phone

How do I turn off emergency alerts?

Have you ever received a notification triggered by severe weather or an Amber alert? You have thought about how to turn off emergency alerts.

You cannot completely turn off presidential alerts unless your phone has been rooted. Notifications on Android phones can be disabled.

The US government launched the wireless emergency alert system in 2012. And implemented it in 2012.

If you receive notifications of car license plate numbers, make and model, and model information. You can disable these notifications in settings in different ways.

Instructions on how to disable Amber alerts on Samsung phones

You have many different options in the messages application on your Samsung smartphone. Sounds, vibrations, and alert reminders can be toggled off. To avoid receiving them in the first place.

You have to contact your carrier provider. Or Samsung care if you want to turn off emergency alerts altogether.

Using an alternate way, you can disable emergency alerts on all your devices. Mostly you can toggle off emergency alerts in the device, but this option may not work in your specific case.

Emergency broadcast settings are found near the bottom of the screen. To turn them off, turn off notifications.

In the message program, select the advanced menu. Then click wireless emergency alert. Emergency alert history can be deleted from the menu.

To delete the history of your emergency broadcasts, go to settings, then tap notifications.

It will be necessary to enter your Samsung mobile’s IMEI number. Open the messages app when you log into your Samsung account and tap the emergency alert option.

The second method is as follows:

  • Open the settings app
  • Search for notifications
  • Hit advanced settings
  • Click the wireless emergency alert option
  • Find the Amber alerts option and turn it off.

Things to note:

These steps were assembled using Samsung Galaxy S10, which was running android 11. There can be variations in steps depending on the smartphone and software version.

Different Ways in Samsung Galaxy Phones

Depending on your model and carrier, several ways are available to turn off amber alerts.

Try to use the message application:

  • Open the message application by tapping it.
  • To reach the menu, tap the three-dot menu icon next to the search (magnifying glass) icon.
  • Go down and select settings from the list from the drop-down menu.
  • Select emergency alert settings from the drop-down menu.
  • Select the toggle next to the feature to turn off Amber alerts.
  • Repeat this method to turn on alerts and turn off the other alerts next time.

Disable via the Settings menu

  • Go down from the top screen to observe the notification shade. Now tap the cog symbol to adjust the settings. This action will result in the appearance of a settings window.
  • Go and select the connections from the dropdown menu.
  • Now select wireless emergency alerts by going down.
  • Click the three-dot icon from the toolbar.
  • Select alert type from the menu.
  • Select toggle next to the feature to turn off amber alerts.
  • Repeat the process the next time to turn it on again if you want.

Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge is a smartphone manufactured by Samsung (Verizon)

  • Select emergency alerts from the list by opening the app drawer.
app drawer
  • In the upper right corner, select settings from the menu bar.
select settings
  • Choose the type of alert you want to receive.
Choose the type of alert you want to receive
  • Select the toggle next to the feature name to turn off the amber alerts.
  • Go for the same procedure if you turn on this feature next time.

Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge is a smartphone manufactured by Samsung (Verizon)

  • Go to the settings window.
Go to the settings window
  • Select notifications.
Select notifications.
  • Tap on Advanced settings.
Tap on Advanced settings.
  • Then select more.
Then select more.
  • Select Show system apps.
Select Show system apps.
  • From AASAservice, select search for previews in pop-ups.
  • Toggle it to turn off the notifications pop-ups.
Toggle it to turn off the notifications pop-ups.

Explanation of Emergency Alerts

Most phones provide different sorts of settings for alert messages besides amber alerts.

A wireless emergency alert is sent to your mobile phone. It is sent through authorized government alerting authorities. Wireless clients are not charged connection or data fees when receiving WEA messages.

The following types of weather alerts are sent:

  • Warning for a tornado, tsunami, and flash floods.
  • Warning for hurricanes, typhoons, dust Storms, and high winds.
  • Notifications for the following are included in state/ local alerts.
  • A situation necessitates evacuation.

There is an emergency that needs immediate action.

By default, state and local testing alerts are turned off. You can turn them on in your emergency notification settings if you want.

Only in a national emergency will the president issue a presidential alert. According to FEMA, presidential alerts cannot be turned off.

AMBER Alerts

Why Are AMBER Alerts Disabled?

As we have already come to know, an Amber alert is a system that gives an alert to the public when a child is missing.

The purpose of initiating an Amber alert is to assist the public in search of a missing child. Moreover, this system is now established in place and in town. But it has a difference from state to state and jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Although it makes irritating noise sometimes, it can also be disturbing when you are in a deep sleep. And your phone suddenly rings, giving you an Amber alert of a missing child.

And this service is provided by your mobile carrier, so you have no idea when it will be activated.

The notification’s loud sound might disturb you. You can stop the Amber alert notification on your phone. To do so, follow the instructions and procedures explained above.

But for the sake of humanity and helping each other, we recommend you keep the notifications turned on. Because you have no idea how important they are when a child is missing, and people are trying to find him in your area.

Can Transferring Contacts from Android to iPhone Also Help in Turning Off Amber Alerts?

Transferring contacts from Android to iPhone does not affect the functionality of Amber Alerts. Amber Alerts are emergency and child abduction notifications sent by the government to all mobile devices, regardless of the phone’s contacts. Thus, the process to transfer contacts from android to iphone will not have any impact on the ability to turn off Amber Alerts.

Conclusion

Whatever system you use in the world is not perfect or free from flaws. But because of this, we cannot deny its importance. Especially when it is about to target the culprit who abducts innocent kids.

Amber alerts doing this job remarkably since it has recovered thousands of children. Do not turn off these alerts; you may change the noisy sound into a soft one. You might save a child’s life through it.