Phones Will Be On Alert Wednesday Afternoon

Don't be alarmed by a surprise text you'll be getting Wednesday afternoon. It's actually going to be very important.

The Gazette reports the Trump administration is set to test a new emergency alert system via text. They will be testing the new system at approximately 1:18 p.m., Iowa time, on Wednesday, October 3 to make sure it will work in the event of an actual national emergency.

225 million cellphone users are expected to get the alert, but keep in mind, you may not get the alert if you have actually been on the phone at the time for a duration of 30 minutes, according to government officials. Verizon in particular has stated that almost all of its phones will be capable of getting these alerts.

The text will start with the message: "PRESIDENTIAL ALERT". Followed by the message "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed". Televisions and radios will then get a similar alert at 1:20.

In the future, you will not be able to opt out of these Presidential Emergency alerts, as you can with regular government emergency alerts. Then-President Barack Obama approved the use of this system in 2016.

[Via Gazette]