Activate Cell Broadcast on the iPhone – this is how it works

Every year, not only the sirens sound on the national warning day, but also numerous smartphones. This test for disaster protection works via Cell Broadcast, which you can also activate on your iPhone.

A nationwide warning day has been held regularly in Germany for several years now. It is dedicated to disaster protection and is intended to show whether the warning systems are working.

This year, the warning day will again fall on the second Thursday in September. For this reason, numerous smartphones will be speaking out at 11:00 a.m. and issuing the warning message “National Warning Day 2024 – Test Warning”.

Today is the warning day 2024 with a nationwide test warning. There is no danger to the population.

The system behind these warnings is called Cell Broadcast. Installing an external app is not necessary. However, you should check whether the system is switched on on your smartphone. We will explain how you can activate Cell Broadcast on your iPhone.

Activate Cell Broadcast on the iPhone – this is how it works

You can check on your iPhone in just a few steps whether Cell Broadcast is switched on. This is important in the event of a disaster, because if there is any doubt, you will be warned via your smartphone.

According to Apple, disaster alerts are enabled by default on your iPhone. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can enable Cell Broadcast on your iPhone in Settings.

Navigate to the “Settings“ to the menu item “Messages“. There you have to scroll all the way down. In the “Cell Broadcast Alerts“ you can activate or deactivate three different functions using sliders:

• Extreme danger
• Hazard information
• Test warnings

If all three controls are green, Cell Broadcast is activated. However, please note that you need at least an iPhone 7 to use the service. Your operating system should also always be up to date and your iPhone should have a cellular connection.

For Cell Broadcast to work, you must have at least iOS 16.1 installed. Of course, your smartphone must also be switched on and not in airplane mode.

These apps are available for alerts

In addition to Cell Broadcast, there are other ways to be warned via your smartphone in the event of a disaster. These include the warning apps NINA, Katwarn or WarnWetter.

The warning app NINA, short for emergency information and news app, is issued by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance. Here you receive warnings from civil protection, for example in the event of major fires or the spread of hazardous substances. Weather warnings from the German Weather Service and flood information are also integrated here.

The civil and disaster protection services also use the Katwarn app to inform you about disasters in dangerous situations. The WarnWetter app from the German Weather Service informs you about important information on the current warning and weather situation.

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