Alex Ruben
How To Disable Amber Alerts on Android Devices
Amber Alerts are these emergency notifications meant to help find missing kids quickly, which is great in theory. But on some days, especially when you’re getting a bunch of alerts in the middle of work or sleep, it feels like they pop up every five minutes. Not sure why it works differently across setups, but here’s what some folks have found helps to turn them off.
Step 1: Dive into your device’s Settings
Start by unlocking your Android. Usually, swiping up from the home screen gets you to the app drawer. That little gear icon labeled Settings is the gateway. Tap it. Sometimes, you might first need to scroll or hit the hamburger menu if your phone’s UI is a bit weird, but generally, this is straightforward.
Step 2: Find the Safety & Emergency section
Once inside Settings, scroll down to find Safety & Emergency. It’s kinda buried sometimes, depending on brand and Android version. For example, on Samsung, it’s usually there right under Privacy or Connections. Tap on it. If your phone is a Pixel, it might be named exactly the same, or a similar location in Settings.
Step 3: Access Wireless Emergency Alerts
Within Safety & Emergency, keep scrolling to the bottom — there’s often a section called Wireless Emergency Alerts. Tap into that. Seriously, some phones separate these alerts (Amber, severe weather, etc.) here, but on others, it’s tucked under a different menu. Because of course, Android has to make it harder than necessary.
Step 4: Turn off Amber Alerts
The key step. In Wireless Emergency Alerts, you’ll see different toggle options (on/off switches) for various alert types. Look for Amber Alerts. If the toggle is colored (normally blue or green), it’s active, and you’ll want to tap once to turn it grey/deactivated. If it’s already off, then it’s already disabled. Sometimes, toggles can be tricky — on some setups, they may be disabled or grayed out temporarily. In that case, a restart might help.
Step 5: Confirm everything’s off
Once toggled, double-check that the switch is gray or off. On some phones, if toggles are grayed out, it may mean that the alert setting is managed by your carrier or government and isn’t controllable through regular settings. But on most, this should do it. Expect to stop getting those alerts after that.
Extra Tips & Common Quirks
Here’s the thing, sometimes settings don’t seem to stick on the first try. Restarting your device after making changes can help. Also, keep software updated, in case the menu paths shift with updates. For Samsung phones, the path might be slightly different — sometimes under Notifications or Sound & Vibration, but generally, heading into Settings > Notifications > Emergency Alerts will get you there. Some models even have a toggle in the notification shade for quick access.
In some cases, if you’re in a region with strict emergency alert regulations, you might not be able to turn off certain alerts at all. And, surprisingly, on some setups, the toggles seem unresponsive until a reboot. No idea why, but it’s a common quirk.
Final cleanup
Once you disable Amber Alerts, it’s good to test if the alerts are actually gone. Just wait for the next alert cycle or simulate a test if your carrier offers one (some do, by sending test alerts or via settings). Usually, after toggling and a reboot, alerts should stop showing up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off Amber Alerts on all Android phones?
Mostly, yes. The process is similar across most Android devices, although exact menu wording and paths vary. Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus — they all have a version of this setting.
What if I accidentally disable Amber Alerts?
If that happens, head back into Wireless Emergency Alerts and just toggle it back on. Sometimes, these settings are global and might be managed by your carrier, so check with them if toggles aren’t working.
Are there other emergency notifications I can turn off?
Yep, besides Amber Alerts, severe weather warnings are usually there. You might want to toggle those off too if you’re getting too many.
Summary
- Find Safety & Emergency in Settings
- Go to Wireless Emergency Alerts
- Toggle off Amber Alerts
- Reboot if toggles act weird
- Test to see if they’re gone
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Because yeah, figuring these settings out sometimes feels like a scavenger hunt.