After the Indian Army's bold and successful Operation Sindoor, where terrorists in Pahalgam were effectively neutralized, the nation is prioritizing emergency preparedness. As mock drills take place across various parts of India, citizens are being urged to participate by enabling emergency alert settings on their smartphones.
Whether you're using an Android or an iPhone, turning on Emergency or SOS alerts ensures you’re instantly notified during natural disasters, military threats, or other national emergencies.
Emergency alerts can save lives. These alerts — sent by government agencies — appear as full-screen notifications on your phone, accompanied by a loud beep, even if your device is in silent mode. This system ensures that citizens stay informed and can warn others in time.
Countries like the United States, Japan, and South Korea already use such systems extensively, and India is quickly catching up. After Operation Sindoor, it's more important than ever to stay alert and prepared.
To activate emergency alerts on your Android phone:
Go to Settings on your smartphone.
Scroll down and tap on "Safety & Emergency".
Look for "Wireless Emergency Alerts" and tap on it.
Toggle the switch to enable alerts.
Make sure to also enable all sub-options like Severe Threats, Extreme Threats, and Test Alerts.
Once enabled, you’ll receive instant notifications during emergencies, whether it's a terrorist threat, earthquake, flood, or man-made disaster.
For iOS users, follow these steps:
Open your iPhone Settings.
Tap on "Notifications".
Scroll to the bottom and find the "Government Alerts" section.
Turn on the switch for "Test Alerts" and "Emergency Alerts".
Once active, your iPhone will also receive full-screen alerts with distinctive sounds during government-issued emergencies.
India has already experimented with mass emergency notifications. In October 2023, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) conducted a test, sending emergency flash alerts to users across Android and iOS platforms. The alert included a unique tone and full-screen message, indicating how such systems might be deployed during real emergencies.
This trial was aimed at testing preparedness for situations such as:
War or military conflict
Floods and earthquakes
Cyclones and tsunamis
Major accidents or terrorist threats
In light of rising regional threats and the increasing use of mobile devices, authorities recommend that every smartphone user in India activate emergency alerts. It's a small step that can have life-saving consequences.
With government forces like the Indian Army taking decisive action in operations such as Sindoor, it's now the turn of civilians to stay vigilant and support national safety initiatives.
As military operations intensify and natural threats remain ever-present, your smartphone can be your first line of defense — not just for you, but also for people around you. Enabling these settings takes less than a minute but ensures you're never caught off guard.
So don't wait — enable emergency alerts on your phone today.
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