Many people get a secret phone when they’re trying to leave a domestic abuse situation
If you have a secret phone, you’ll need to turn off the emergency alert notifications before Sunday, April 23.
If you’re trying to leave a domestic abuse situation, buying a new, secret phone that your partner can’t check through is often one of the first steps. This can help you to get in contact with charities and a support network, and begin to make plans to leave without alerting your partner and potentially putting yourself in danger.
On Sunday, April 23, the government will send out an emergency alert notification to all phones in the UK to test the system. These could be used in the future to alert people if there’s a danger to them nearby, but it could also draw attention to a secret phone.
Wirral charity The Lighthouse Centre, who work with women and children who have or are experiencing domestic abuse on the Wirral, have shared how to turn emergency notifications off:
- Go to your settings on your phone
- Find your notifications setting
- There will be an emergency alert sections, once you find it select ‘turn off all alerts’
In the post, The Lighthouse Centre said: “On the 23rd of April 2023, the government will send out a test emergency alert to all phones in the UK. This is great for most of the population; however, the alert could prove dangerous if you have a secret phone for your safety.
You can turn off these emergency alerts in your notification settings. If you can’t find the emergency alerts section, head into advanced settings. If you need help turning off wireless emergency alerts, visit the Centre. We’ll be more than happy to turn them off for you.”
BY BETH URE