# Important note about the phone alert today {2023-10-04} **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 4, 2023, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106 "2023-10-04T17:00:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/41 "2023-10-05T16:31:36Z")
There are whack-a-doodle conspiracy theorists that shut their phones down for fear that the signal was really meant to activate the graphite in their bodies that were injected along with the covid vaccine. If only our technology was so advanced. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/42 "2023-10-05T16:33:08Z")
Or the Marburg virus. I’ve seen that one suggested too, which is impressive that they know about Marburg, even though it’s much different than COVID and obviously not controllable. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/43 "2023-10-05T16:35:55Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > The battery swelled so much that it had popped the rear case off & actually broke the plastic on the inside" hulking" it’s way out of the battery compartment. Ah, a very spicy pillow. [https://www.reddit.com/r/spicypillows/](https://www.reddit.com/r/spicypillows/) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/44 "2023-10-05T20:30:32Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Holy $#! +!!! The battery swelled so much that it had popped the rear case off & actually broke the plastic on the inside" hulking" it’s way out of the battery compartment. Needless to say, it won’t be plugged in again & the only reason it’s not in the trashcan is that we have an upcoming electronics recycling day soon. You might want to store that thing outside on a concrete surface away from anything flammable until you can take it to the electronics recycling center. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/45 "2023-10-06T04:40:43Z")
I was surprised that my phone that doesn’t have service got it. But I guess it makes sense. What was weird was that my main phone got it twice: once in English, then immediately afterwards in Spanish. But no other phone (including my dad’s) got that. Did any of the rest of you get two alerts on the same phone? Did any of you get the Spanish version? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/46 "2023-10-06T04:46:35Z")
Also, I read that it might still sound on phones that were turned off. Carriers would keep repeating the signal for a while. The advice was for anyone who needed to hide it to only turn their phone back on in a safe place, just to be sure. I remembered my mom’s old phone, and turned it on just a few minutes ago, but it did not go off. (And it’s newer than my other phone without service). ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/47 "2023-10-06T07:13:10Z")
I got the Spanish first. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/48 "2023-10-06T10:49:38Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Did any of the rest of you get two alerts on the same phone? Did any of you get the Spanish version? I got the double play, English (which is the language my phone is set for) first, then the Spanish very shortly after. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/49 "2023-10-06T14:53:56Z")
Me too. I also live in a part of the country where Spanish as a primary language is very, very common. That may not hold true in e.g. Minnesota. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/50 "2023-10-07T01:31:42Z")
I live in California, so substantial Spanish-speaking population. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106/51 "2023-10-11T02:16:59Z")
I took it down to the firehouse last night to power it up long enough to delete my accts & factory reset it. Decided that it wasn’t worth holding on to for an electronics recycling day but it was raining when I left so I didn’t bother to find a dumpster, either. It’s currently outside, waiting for my next drive somewhere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/important-note-about-the-phone-alert-today-2023-10-04/991106.md?page=2)