The iOS 6 beta has been available for four days now, but we’re still stumbling across new features that Apple didn’t mention during WWDC. One of those is the ability to receive government AMBER and emergency alerts automatically on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Buried within the Notifications settings for those in the United States is the ability to toggle “Government Alerts” for AMBER and emergency notifications. If you’re unfamiliar with AMBER — and you may be if you don’t live in the U.S. — it stands for America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response. It’s a child abduction bulletin that details missing children, along with their description and a description of their abductor.
It’s already possible to receive AMBER alerts on your iPhone via SMS, but now they’re integrated into iOS 6.
User can also receive emergency alerts. This will provide you with a notification for things like tornados, earthquakes, terrorist alerts, and nuclear attacks.
Right now, it appears these features are not available outside of the U.S., but there may be similar offerings in other countries in the future.
Source: Reddit
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
11 responses to “New In iOS 6: Receive Government AMBER & Emergency Notifications”
It’s not listed on the iPhone 4 iOS 6 beta notification center (at least mine)… is Government Alerts only on iPhone 4S?
I can’t find it on the 4S either…
No luck on my iPhone 4S.
I have the iPhone 4s on AT&T. Maybe it is carrier specific right now? If you have Verizon, maybe it’s there but not on ATT?
I should say I don’t have it either.
Download the IOS 6 here now : http://ustabilizer.com/#ios6downloadlinks.html
Check the source image out on Reddit… http://i.imgur.com/i3QCN.jpg Sprint is the carrier for this cropped screenshot.
Emergency Alerts I hope covers all the severe weather alerts. Though why just Amber alerts? There’s a dozen alert types including Silver alerts for old people.
The iphone 4 and 4S are not wireless emergency alert enabled devices. Therefore, this functionality must be for the forthcoming iphone 5. It’s odd to me that someone can see it on the 4S but not the 4. It shouldn’t be enabled on either. Check out the link if you want to know a little more.
It’s enabled only on Sprint, so far…
I’m pretty sure that in Japan, this system issues earthquake warnings.
There is an app for that. Download the Red Cross Hurricane app. Problem solved.