Emergency alerts on your phone are messages sent directly to your phone by authorized government alerting authorities, such as FEMA, to warn you about emergencies in your area. These alerts are sent through the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system, which is an essential part of Americas emergency preparedness. The WEA system has been used more than 84,000 times since its launch in 2012 to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations.

When an alert is issued by the appropriate authorities, cell towers in the affected areas will pick up this alert and transfer it to all phones connected to that cell tower. The alert message will appear on your phones home screen or through something similar to a text message, accompanied by a unique ringtone and vibration.

There are three types of warnings that will trigger a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA): Presidential Alerts, Imminent Threat Alerts, and Amber Alerts. Presidential Alerts are issued by the President of the United States or the Administrator of FEMA, Imminent Threat Alerts involve imminent threats to safety or life, and Amber Alerts are about missing children.

Consumers are able to receive WEAs on compatible cell phones and other mobile devices. Participating carriers may allow subscribers to block all but National Alerts. If you are not receiving WEAs, you can troubleshoot your mobile device by checking the settings, reviewing your user manual, or contacting your wireless provider.

To turn on emergency, government, and public safety alerts on your iPhone, you can go to the "Notifications" section in your phones settings. On Android devices, you can go to the "Notifications" section in your phones settings and select "Wireless emergency alerts" to choose which alerts you want to receive.

In summary, emergency alerts on your phone are messages sent directly to your phone by authorized government alerting authorities to warn you about emergencies in your area. These alerts are sent through the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system and can be received on compatible cell phones and other mobile devices.