iPhone Alert: Govt Sends This Emergency Alert Today, Know What It Means For iPhone Users

"This is a Sample Testing Message", if you are an iPhone user you must have received this message today. Still confused as to why did you receive this message? Relax there is nothing to worry about. Actually, most iPhone users have reportedly received this message as India tested its emergency alert system on Tuesday. The notification on the smartphone popped with a loud buzzer-like sound. The message was sent via the Cell Broadcasting System by the Department of Telecommunication, GoI.

The flash message that landed on all iPhones at 11.30 a.m. today read, "This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through Cell Broadcasting System by the Department of Telecommunication, Government of India. Please ignore this message as no action is required from your end. This message has been sent to the TEST Pan-India Emergency Alert System being implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority. It aims to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies."

The emergency text message was also sent to the Apple Watch Ultra with a strong buzzer and vibration.
The Cell Broadcasting System by the Department of Telecommunication stated that such tests will be conducted from time to time in different regions to examine the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency warning broadcast capabilities of mobile operators and cell broadcast systems.

The government is working with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to be better prepared for calamities like earthquakes, tsunamis, and flash floods.

Sources at the National Disaster Management Authority were quoted by NDTV in August this year as saying that they plan to launch the alert system soon. "The government is planning to roll out the alert system in the next six to eight months. The second phase of the Common Alerting Protocol was tested today. In the coming months, the government plans to carry out test runs for broadcasting urgent disaster alert messages on TV, Radio, and at Railway Stations," reported NDTV quoting sources in NDMA.