So my phone scares the bejesus out of me...

**MexRex** · 08-02-2012, 10:51 PM

I'm chilling on my bed reading on my tablet when my phone goes off. I hear some sort of loud alarm sound and my screen comes on. I freak out and grab my phone to see this?

Anybody seen this? It scared me but that's cool.

**Sean-Troy** · 08-02-2012, 10:56 PM

Yeah I got that message a few days ago Columbia South Carolina

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

**doomstang** · 08-02-2012, 11:04 PM

Open the Messages app, press menu, go to Settings, and tap on Emergency Alerts. You can opt in or out of most of these (except presidential ones).
Having said that, I've never received one before so it's kind of interesting to see it in a picture.
Just FYI, you can take a screenshot of your phone by holding power and pressing the Home key instead of getting another camera to take a pic of your phone

**crxssi** · 08-02-2012, 11:17 PM

Yep, I got a tornado warning weeks ago and it scared the crap out of me. I had no idea the phone could do that and the tone sounded exactly like an emergency radio signal. At first, I didn't even realize it was coming from the phone.

And although this seems like a cool and great idea, it turns out the alert was for an area almost 30 miles away. So it wasn't that accurate.

**zmann** · 08-03-2012, 05:36 AM

I have never seen that and most likely won't seeing as though I have stock app notifications off. I use handcent for messages. That's pretty cool I must say. I get them type of alerts from my weather bug elite app.

Sent from my EVO 4g lte

**crxssi** · 08-03-2012, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by zmann

I have never seen that and most likely won't seeing as though I have stock app notifications off. I use handcent for messages. That's pretty cool I must say. I get them type of alerts from my weather bug elite app.

Just speculation, but I think this cannot be turned off and is something "hard coded on" for new phones. It was not an app notification. It had a completely different sound and took over the screen.

**BlackHawkA4** · 08-03-2012, 07:54 AM

I don't know about everyone else but I'm happy this phone has this.

Sent from my EVO using Android Central Forums

**kbp08tls** · 08-03-2012, 08:28 AM

I got that a couple of weeks ago and it scared the crap out of me too. And it happened right after I had booted into a new ROM I had flashed, so I thought something was really screwed up

**sed51329** · 08-03-2012, 08:41 AM

This happened during a flash flood warning in WI a month ago.

It makes the same noise that the emergency broadcast system uses on TV.

I jumped the first time I heard it.

15 minutes later, my boyfriend's HTC EVO 3D did the same thing.

**zmann** · 08-03-2012, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by crxssi

Just speculation, but I think this cannot be turned off and is something "hard coded on" for new phones. It was not an app notification. It had a completely different sound and took over the screen.

Well I went into the stock message app and guess what, in settings there are settings for the emergency alerts so it is true, if you shut off the notifications you do not get emergency alerts.

Sent from my EVO 4g lte

**crxssi** · 08-03-2012, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by zmann

Well I went into the stock message app and guess what, in settings there are settings for the emergency alerts so it is true, if you shut off the notifications you do not get emergency alerts.

Great find! I had no idea it was there in messaging settings! Thanks. I do plan to keep the defaults, except I turned of "Amber alerts".

At least what I remember was slightly correct- you can't turn off some alerts- specifically what they are calling "Presidential" alerts.

**zmann** · 08-03-2012, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by crxssi

Great find! I had no idea it was there in messaging settings! Thanks. I do plan to keep the defaults, except I turned of "Amber alerts".

At least what I remember was slightly correct- you can't turn off some alerts- specifically what they are calling "Presidential" alerts.

If you turn the apps notification off then yes,, even presidential go off,, all goes off. I don't use this message app so it's all shut down.

Sent from my EVO 4g lte

**Cyrene** · 08-03-2012, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by zmann

If you turn the apps notification off then yes,, even presidential go off,, all goes off. I don't use this message app so it's all shut down.

Sent from my EVO 4g lte

I have the stock messaging notifications turned off, but I still received alerts (weather) until I went into settings and manually turned them off.

Sent from my EVO LTE using Tapatalk 2

**zmann** · 08-04-2012, 06:13 AM

We may be saying the same thing here somehow. That's what I have been saying,, going into settings and turning notification off stops even the emergency alerts. I use handcent messages app and I don't get any emergency alerts. The whole point I was trying to make is they can be shut down, all of them.

Sent from my EVO 4g lte

**zmann** · 08-04-2012, 06:19 AM

When I shut notification off in the settings in the stock app this is what happens,, all these boxes go Grey,, even the presidential one,, that indicates they are off. When I turn notification on, yes the presidential box stays checked and I can't uncheck it which would mean if you use the stock app then yes, you can't shut down the presidential alerts,, but if you do not use the app, and have notifications completely off,, then even that alert gets turned off.

Sent from my EVO 4g lte

**dtreo** · 08-04-2012, 06:42 AM

Hah! Presidential alerts. Maybe I will get one that scares the crap out of me by showing my tax increase coming next year.

**quorra** · 08-04-2012, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by zmann

When I shut notification off in the settings in the stock app this is what happens,, all these boxes go Grey,, even the presidential one,, that indicates they are off. When I turn notification on, yes the presidential box stays checked and I can't uncheck it which would mean if you use the stock app then yes, you can't shut down the presidential alerts,, but if you do not use the app, and have notifications completely off,, then even that alert gets turned off.

Sent from my EVO 4g lte

I'm pretty sure that the presidential one is greyed out with a check mark. Meaning, you can't toggle that setting. The others, yes. Presidential, no.

**dtreo** · 08-04-2012, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by quorra

I'm pretty sure that the presidential one is greyed out with a check mark. Meaning, you can't toggle that setting. The others, yes. Presidential, no.

So ridiculous.

Sent via EVO LTE

**quorra** · 08-04-2012, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Mitch Stein

So ridiculous.

Sent via EVO LTE

You are correct. I didin't fully read the post that I was responding too. My apologies.

**dtreo** · 08-06-2012, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by quorra

You are correct. I didin't fully read the post that I was responding too. My apologies.

Sorry, I meant ridiculous in the sense that we actually have a "presidential alert" on our phones.

Sent via EVO LTE

**crxssi** · 08-06-2012, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Mitch Stein

Sorry, I meant ridiculous in the sense that we actually have a "presidential alert" on our phones.

It does seem a bit extreme. The concept is sound, but I think what it is named could be better- perhaps "National Emergency Alert" or something. Still, I find it irritating that someone decided that I am not allowed to control my own device. I would leave the alert on anyway, but not giving me a choice is something that is (to me, anyway) borderline unacceptable.

**errbin** · 08-06-2012, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Mitch Stein

Sorry, I meant ridiculous in the sense that we actually have a "presidential alert" on our phones.

Sent via EVO LTE

Just in case there's a zombie outbreak
I can see the text now

Presidential alert ~ the $#it has hit the fan.. There's a zombie outbreak.. See you at area 51 we're going to mars

sent from a EVO that survived a Apple attack... thug life

**zmann** · 08-07-2012, 04:47 AM

Originally Posted by crxssi

It does seem a bit extreme. The concept is sound, but I think what it is named could be better- perhaps "National Emergency Alert" or something. Still, I find it irritating that someone decided that I am not allowed to control my own device. I would leave the alert on anyway, but not giving me a choice is something that is (to me, anyway) borderline unacceptable.

You do have a choice,, don't use the stock message app. Round and round we go.

Sent from my EVO 4g lte

**Cyrene** · 08-07-2012, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Mitch Stein

Sorry, I meant ridiculous in the sense that we actually have a "presidential alert" on our phones.

Sent via EVO LTE

All my alerts are turned off. However, even though presidential is grayed out, the check remains green while the other checks are gray. This means the presidential alert cannot be turned off no matter what.

Sent from my EVO LTE using Tapatalk 2

**doomstang** · 08-07-2012, 11:04 AM

I like how it took everyone until halfway through the thread to figure out where those settings were when I posted them in the 3rd post...did nobody read?