Disable Amber Alerts? How to Turn Them Off

Yes, you can disable Amber Alerts on most phones, but the exact steps depend on your device and operating system. This article explains how to turn off Amber Alerts (and other emergency alerts) on iPhone and Android, what you lose by doing so, and why the alerts exist in the first place.

What Are Amber Alerts?

Amber Alerts are emergency messages issued when a child is abducted and believed to be in imminent danger. The system is named after Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl abducted and murdered in Texas in 1996. The alerts are broadcast through the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system, which also carries extreme weather warnings, presidential alerts, and imminent threat alerts. WEA messages are sent by authorized government agencies to cell towers, which then push them to compatible phones in the affected area.

Each state or jurisdiction has its own criteria for issuing an Amber Alert, but the U.S. Department of Justice recommends three minimum conditions: the child is under 18, there is a reasonable belief the child was abducted, and there is enough descriptive information about the child, the abductor, or the vehicle to help the public. Some states also require that the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death.

How Amber Alerts Work on Your Phone

Wireless Emergency Alerts are a federal system managed by FEMA and the FCC. Carriers are required to support them on modern phones. There are four categories of WEA messages:

• Presidential alerts – issued by the President, cannot be disabled
• Imminent threat alerts – such as tornado warnings or active shooter situations
• Amber Alerts – child abduction alerts
• Public safety alerts – optional messages about non-imminent threats

On both iPhone and Android, you can usually turn off Amber Alerts specifically, while keeping other alerts on. However, the exact menu names vary by manufacturer and carrier. In general, the option lives in your phone’s settings under “Emergency Alerts” or “Wireless Emergency Alerts.”

How to Disable Amber Alerts on iPhone

On an iPhone (iOS 15 and later), follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Notifications.
3. Scroll to the very bottom and tap Government Alerts.
4. Toggle off Amber Alerts.

You can also toggle off “Emergency Alerts” and “Public Safety Alerts” if you want to silence those too. The “Presidential Alerts” toggle is not available on iPhones in the U.S. because those cannot be disabled by law.

Note: On some older iOS versions, the path might be Settings > Notifications > Emergency Alerts. The toggle is still there, just labeled differently.

How to Disable Amber Alerts on Android

Android is more fragmented, so the steps vary by manufacturer (Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, etc.). Here is the general path that works on most stock Android and Samsung devices:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Apps & notifications (or Notifications on some phones).
3. Tap Wireless emergency alerts (sometimes under “Advanced” or “Emergency alerts”).
4. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top right and select Settings.
5. Toggle off Amber alerts.

On Samsung phones, the path is often: Settings > Apps > Emergency alerts > Settings (gear icon) > Amber alerts toggle. On Google Pixel phones: Settings > Apps > Emergency alerts > Settings > Amber alerts.

If you cannot find the option, search your settings for “emergency alerts” or “alerts.” Some carriers hide the toggle, but most allow you to turn off Amber Alerts specifically.

What Happens If You Turn Off Amber Alerts?

If you disable Amber Alerts, you will no longer receive those specific messages. You will still receive presidential alerts and, depending on your settings, other imminent threat alerts like tornado warnings. Turning off Amber Alerts does not affect your phone’s ability to receive regular calls, texts, or notifications.

The main downside is that you lose the chance to help locate a missing child. Amber Alerts are designed to enlist the public’s eyes and ears. If you are driving or walking in the area where the abduction occurred, you might see the suspect’s vehicle or the child. Without the alert, you would not know to look.

That said, many people disable them because they find the alerts jarring, especially at night. Amber Alerts are often accompanied by a loud, piercing tone that can be startling. The alerts also interrupt whatever you are doing on your phone, which can be dangerous if you are driving.

Why You Might Want to Keep Them On

Amber Alerts have a documented track record of helping recover abducted children. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, as of 2023, over 1,100 children have been successfully recovered due to Amber Alerts. The system works because it quickly spreads information to a wide audience. A single alert can reach millions of people in seconds.

If you live in an area where abductions are rare, you might never receive an Amber Alert. But when they do occur, they are time-sensitive. The first few hours after an abduction are critical. Keeping the alerts on means you might be the one to spot the child or the vehicle.

If the sound bothers you, you can often set your phone to silent or do-not-disturb mode, but that will also silence other notifications. Some phones let you set a separate volume for emergency alerts, but the behavior varies by model.

Alternatives to Full Disable

If you want to avoid the startling sound but still see the alert, consider these options:

• Turn off the sound for alerts – On some Android phones, you can keep the alert on but change the sound to “Silent” or “Vibrate.” Look for a “Sound” or “Alert sound” option in the emergency alert settings.
• Use Do Not Disturb with exceptions – On iPhone, you can set Do Not Disturb to allow calls from certain contacts, but emergency alerts still come through unless you disable them separately.
• Check the alert preview – Some phones show a banner notification that you can dismiss without unlocking the phone. You can then decide if you want to read it.
• Disable only during certain hours – There is no built-in schedule for emergency alerts on most phones, but you can manually toggle them off before bed and on again in the morning.

Another alternative is to keep Amber Alerts on but turn off “Public Safety Alerts” or “Severe Weather Alerts” if those are the ones that annoy you most. That way you still help with abductions but avoid other noise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I disable presidential alerts?

No. Presidential alerts are required by law and cannot be turned off on any phone in the United States. They are intended for national emergencies and are rarely sent. The only way to avoid them is to turn off your phone or put it in airplane mode, but that defeats the purpose of having a phone.

Will disabling Amber Alerts affect severe weather warnings?

No. Amber Alerts and severe weather alerts are separate toggles in most phone settings. You can turn off Amber Alerts and still receive tornado, hurricane, and flood warnings. The only alerts that are always on are presidential alerts.

Why did I get an Amber Alert for a city hundreds of miles away?

Amber Alerts are broadcast based on the location of cell towers, not your exact location. If you are near a tower that is in the alert area, you will receive the alert even if you are just passing through. This is why you might get an alert for a neighboring county or state.

Can I turn off Amber Alerts on my smartwatch?

Smartwatches typically mirror the notifications from your phone. If you disable Amber Alerts on your phone, they will not appear on your watch either. Some watches have their own notification settings, but the phone is the primary control.

Do Amber Alerts work internationally?

Amber Alerts are a U.S. system. Other countries have similar systems (like AMBER Alert in Canada or Child Rescue Alert in the UK), but they operate independently. If you travel abroad, your phone may receive local emergency alerts depending on the local carrier and regulations.

Is it illegal to disable Amber Alerts?

No. There is no law that requires you to keep Amber Alerts enabled. The Wireless Emergency Alerts system is opt-out for all alerts except presidential ones. You can disable Amber Alerts without any legal consequence. The only requirement is that carriers must support the system, not that users must receive every alert.

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