All smartphones in the UK will go off an alarm later this month during a crash test.
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Most UK mobile phones will go off an alarm for 10 seconds later this month as the government tests a recent emergency alert system.
The siren will go off on April 23 at 15:00 local time and will last roughly 10 seconds on all 4G and 5G mobile phones.
The system is designed to send urgent messages to vulnerable areas, akin to in the event of a major flood or fire. Similar systems are already in operation in other countries, including the US, Canada and Japan.
The federal government said the time and date had been chosen to avoid disrupting major events akin to the London Marathon and major football matches.
The federal government said the system could be used “very rarely” and alerts would only be sent when there was an “imminent threat” to people’s lives.
“This may very well be the sound that saves your life,” said Oliver Dowden, a British government minister press release.