Can you still access the text of the Government's emergency alert message on your phone?

[madnessrains]

When the alert happened yesterday on my Android phone, my only thought was to stop the noise, so I swiped or tapped or whatever I needed to do to get rid of it. I did skim read it, so I know it was a warning about the wildfires, but any specific instructions would have completely passed me by, and I no longer seem to able to access the message.

Can you still access it on your phone? It's not important to me on this occasion, but it may be important for future alerts if there are instructions we need to follow.

I can still access it via the Notification Centre on my iPhone.

You can also access them online. Just google government alerts.

I can't seem to find it again, but I did take a screenshot when it happened:

Yes, still on my iPhone if I swipe up to see notifications.

Thanks @AvacadoChic you win the prize for resourcefulness and practicality in a crisis! 😁

@Sherararara if there was a major crisis, like a nuclear attack, the internet might go down, but a message saved on a phone would at least last as long as the battery.

It's not a biggy - just musing on whether it is an Android design flaw.

Interesting. Though it'll take more than that to persuade me to swap my Android for an iPhone. 😁

You can with Android but only within 24 hours. Search notification history in settings and it will show you all notifications in the past 24 hours. Obviously not there now as over that time but this is where you go if it goes off again!

Yes you can on Android.

Go to Settings-Notifications-Emergency Alerts-Emergency Alert History

I thought exactly the same!
I have an iPhone but can’t see it now. I think it may have come up earlier (maybe if I swiped up - I’m not even sure).

Yes

Got it, thanks! Phew! I can rest easy now. 😁

@madnessrains

Yes. On Android: Go into Settings. Type into the search bar: 'emergency alerts' (save you looking for it,) then click on it. When your 'alerts' page comes up, click on Emergency Alert History. It's there... (Yesterday's emergency alert.) It should not disappear. Mine is still there after 28 hours. Also my one from September 2025 is still there.

Cross post! Glad you found it!

Thank you for asking this. It really is a design flaw and i think there should be two dismiss actions. One to shut that awful noise up and the second to dismiss the actual text. I got rid of it before I'd read it all due to the noise.

That must be your phone thing, it's not an android thing as I can still see the one from 2025

@BacksToTheFuture I still see all mine too.

I've just navigated my way to Emergency Alerts on my android and I'm surprised to discover that you can actually turn them off altogether (not that I'm planning to do that).
It also seems to default to silencing the alert during periods when my phone is in quiet mode, so if there is a tsunami between 10pm and 7am I will drown for the sake of a peaceful night unless I toggle this setting.
Another strange thing is the distinction between 'extreme alerts' and 'severe alerts'. Obviously one is meant to be worse than the other, but I can't decide which is which.

I think turning them off is batshit to be quite honest. There should be no way to do this. JMO.

Thank you! Found mine now - but under wireless emergency alerts. Not simple for us androids 🤣

I found them now - under wireless emergency alerts!

Thank you for asking the question, OP, and to @GasPanic for answering it so clearly.

Unless it's your secret second phone for contacting domestic abuse charities of course! Wouldn't want that to go off unexpectedly and set your escape plans back.

I also screen shot it.

I screen shot loads

Has often been useful

My DH was driving when the alert went off, using his phone for satnav. The alert was read out over the car speaker. He said it didn't give him a fright, but it did cover his screen. He couldn't see his satnav until he stopped and cleared his screen.

Many people will inevitably try to clear it as they drive and accidents will inevitably happen.

I opted out and don't get them. So glad not to part of this nonsense.