Help! Disable Amber Alerts?

[awesumjon]

Earlier today I got an Amer Alert (for Dallas, Texas: SUV Gold Suburban) but I've been getting the same one every hour since and so have other windowsphone users here that I know.

If you haven't gotten one yet, it vibrates INTENSELY and makes a very loud sound (reminiscent of the internet dial-up tone) if the screen is off.

How can I disable these?

I mean, I don't wanna sound like a douche but I don't live in Dallas and it kind of interrupts everything.

 

[esskayess]

Settings -> Applications -> Messaging

Choose "Emergency Alerts" button at the bottom. Toggle AMBER Alerts to off.

 

[Squatting Hen]

I never knew this existed. I don't have an emergency alerts option. I am in the US and use ATT.

 

[awesumjon]

Settings -> Applications -> Messaging

Choose "Emergency Alerts" button at the bottom. Toggle AMBER Alerts to off.

Yep! I just found out! I can also switch them from: All Alerts, Presidential and Extreme Alerts, and Presidential Alerts only, or, like you said, off completely.

 

[esskayess]

Glad to help.

Amber Alerts can be switched off completely.

AFAIK Presidential Alerts cannot be switched off. All cell phones are supposed to have Presidential Alerts at the least.

You can choose the level of alerts, but even toggling Amber Alerts to off will not disable Presidential Alerts.

Squatting Hen - I have an 822 on Verizon, but when I had a Nokia on ATT around 2005, it had this feature too. I would look around the messaging settings on your phone, it should be there somewhere.

 

[Squatting Hen]

Neither me or my wife can find that setting. Nothing for amber alerts or presidential alerts. Odd.

Does everyone have this?

 

[wmgreenjr]

I don't. ATT Nokia 820. Unless its just there without any options to change its settings.

 

[Squatting Hen]

I don't think ATT has this on all of their phones. Did some searching and the specs on the 920 say it does not have CMAS - Commercial Mobile Alert System.

From the post above, the 820 doesn't either.

 

[esskayess]

You're right. Just found this on Wikipedia

--

CMAS messages, although displayed similarly to SMS text messages, are always free and are routed through a separate service which will give them priority over voice and regular text messages in congested areas.[2] Customers who have the capability of receiving CMAS alerts (also known as PLAN and WEA) will be automatically signed up by their carrier.[7] If they do not want to participate they may opt to block most CMAS messages, however CMAS regulations[8] prohibit participating carriers from configuring phones to allow users to opt out of messages issued by the President.[2]

-- sks

 

[realwarder]

Kind of sad att doesn't have this as it sounds useful.

 

[fredolay69]

I am also US on ATT...never have i seen this setting. lol. I guess as stated below, it is carrier related?

 

[jester3]

It took me awhile to find it. If you click the text message tile, it's under "Settings" and at the bottom of the screen.

 

[Laura Knotek]

It appears that AT&T has only enabled WEA on Samsung and Motorola devices. Opt out of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) or Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) - AT&T Wireless Support?

[h=2]Opt out of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) or Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS)[/h]

If you have a CMAS-capable device, you are automatically enrolled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts. You may opt out of Imminent Threat and AMBER alerts, however, you can't opt out of Presidential Alerts.
Close all
Opt out instructions for Samsung and Motorola devices
[h=4]Samsung[/h]

• Select the Messaging application.
• In Settings, scroll to the last section called Notification Settings.
• Select Emergency alerts and a list of different types of emergency alerts displays.
• Select the type of alerts you do not wish to receive by touching the checked box on the right side of the screen; the green checkmark should disappear.
• Close app.

[h=4]Motorola[/h]

• Select the Emergency Alerts application.
• Select Settings at the bottom of the screen and a list of different types of emergency alerts displays.
• Select the type of alerts you do not wish to receive by touching the checked box on the right side of the screen; the green checkmark disappears.
• Close app.

AT&T is working to certify and deploy CMAS service to as many devices as possible, as quickly as possible. We are committed to working with device vendors to support this important alert messaging service.

 

[Jim Glass]

For HTC: Wireless Emergency Alerts - Windows Phone 8X by HTC

 

[Ryan Schauer]

It definitely depends on what model phone you have. My wife and I have Lumia 920's but neither have this option. My kids both have Lumia 520's and both have this option. We are on ATT. It's not a carrier issue, as far as I can tell.

 

[bmac0371]

This has rolled out on my HTC 8X, on ATT. These Amber Alerts are driving me NUTS! AT&T cannot solve it. I've attempted opt-out by sending a 'Stop' message to the program number. No luck.

The HTC 8X has NO controls in Settings>Applications>Messaging for controlling Emergency Alerts, as stated in this article.
How to turn off emergency alerts on your phone | How To - CNET

My question is, did WindowPhone issue an OS update to disable this control? Why can I not control alert notifications?

Any help appreciated?

 

[truckfreak69]

Doesn't anyone find it rather Orwellian? I mean, you can't even disable the "Presidential" alerts, and the Amber alerts give you very little if any information, so mostly they're just designed to scare the public.... What kind of fascist society have we moved into?

 

[John20212]

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu150/lak611/WEA.png

...

There was no sticker on my Lumia 1020 ATT box about this and I only found out about the funcionality the first time I received an alert and Bing-ed what it is, since I never saw anything like it before on my phone.
There was also nothing in the box letting the user know about this service.

 

[california86]

Doesn't anyone find it rather Orwellian? I mean, you can't even disable the "Presidential" alerts, and the Amber alerts give you very little if any information, so mostly they're just designed to scare the public.... What kind of fascist society have we moved into?

I don't find it Orewellian at all. I actually find it very useful. The alerts aren't spewing out anything close to propaganda and it does have a history of helping find missing persons.

 

[AndyCalling]

Oo, oo, does it pop up with a 'brown alert' if the Tea Party ever get voted in?