this post was submitted on 01 Jan 2024
1357 points (98.6% liked)
Technology
59572 readers
3081 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related content.
- Be excellent to each another!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Approved Bots
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I don't know about your phone, but at least in mine, they can in fact be turned off in general device settings. There's a "Wireless emergency alerts" section in the options, under which you can individually toggle Extreme Alerts, Severe Alerts, Amber Alerts, and Tests
Those toggles don't work because, in Canada, everything is sent at the Presidential Level, which might be above "Extreme Alerts".
I had to basically plug my phone into my computer to access adb (a command line tool) to deactivate them.
On my old phone, I was able to make the sound at least respect DND. I don't know if it's a Samsung vs. Google thing, or if it's an Android version thing.
Canada ignores complaints because if people got the alert, it's working.
Android ignores complaints because it's Canada's problem, and why would anyone want to completely deactivate all alerts? (Which I've done -- I don't even get texts anymore, which I actually want. But it was all or nothing.)
Oh, I didn't realize. I am in Canada, I turned them off a few months ago after my third amber alert this year for someone at the far end of the province (how likely am I to be able to help someone a 30 hour drive away???) and haven't gotten one since, but it must just be coincidence. That's annoying.
I guess it's up to the phone manufacturer to decide whether the presidential level can be turned off or not
Did you disable all texting in order to avoid the alerts? Just how often did you get them!
No, I disabled the emergency alert feature. I don't know if they come through over SMS in the end, or if they have their own special "lane" that got blocked.
I was hoping I'd still get the text, but I didn't.
The issue wasn't with the frequency (maybe one set every few months) so much as the issue was with my phone blaring an alarm at any hour of the day (say, 3am when you're asleep) that doesn't respect DND or volume settings on my phone.
That sounds like an effective solution… for things that are an immediate threat to the general population!
Yes, but not for custody disputes happening hours away with no information given about the suspect to help anyone search for the child! Lol