A warning has been issued to online shoppers ahead of the Government's emergency siren alert test set to take place in a matter of weeks.
Phones up and down the country will sound an "Armageddon alert" on April 23, with millions required to acknowledged the test before carrying on as normal on devices. The alert message is being introduced in a bid to warn of life-threatening and emergency situations across the UK or in more local areas when required.
However, the distinctive siren sound is likely to cause some disruption in terms of the way people use phones for things such as online shopping and banking. The alert may lead to failed transactions, especially those who regularly use Amazon, eBay, PayPal or ApplePay to make purchases, with the emergency message likely to cause phones to freeze.
During the test, the noise will sound along with a message displayed on mobile phones or tablet screens reading: "This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.
"In an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. This is a test. You do not need to take any action.”
The new alarm system will "undoubtedly save lives in the future", explained home delivery experts Parcelhero, with warnings issued over weather and even terror threats in the future.
"When the Government’s Emergency Alert test activates on our mobile phones and tablets, everyone will have to acknowledge the warning to regain access to their device’s features," said ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T.
"A message will appear on home screens, with vibrations and a loud warning siren that will sound for about 10 seconds, even if the phone is set to silent. That’s certainly going to be alarming if you have just pressed “Buy Now”."
The emergency message will be broadcast using mobile phone masts, meaning that all compatible mobile phones and tablets within range will be alerted. There is no need for phones to be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi to receive the alert.
Mr Jinks added: "That means there’s little way of avoiding the impact of this test. That’s bad news for people gaming, shopping and banking on their devices as the alert is broadcast.
"We also anticipate issues immediately after people receive the test, as many of us race to share our experience by calling, texting or using WhatsApp. When multiple devices all try to use the same network, overcrowding occurs as they compete to connect.
"This means low quality or buffering during streaming, latency during gaming, and frustratingly slow browsing speeds."
The home delivery service have also shared some advice on what consumers can do during the test on the evening of Sunday, April 23.
It is possible to opt out of the alert, you can do so here, but people are asked to keep the the system on devices in case of future threats.
In order to use devices as normal, the alert will need to be dismissed, with Mr Jinks adding: "If you really must shop, there is a simple hack that means your phone won’t receive the alert.
"Search your settings for “emergency alerts” (these are in Notifications on an iPhone). Then select turn off “severe alerts” and “extreme alerts”. However, we don’t recommend this as the alert could save your life in the future."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .
