# What happened to the test of the warning system? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 3, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385 "2018-10-03T18:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/1 "2018-10-03T18:48:29Z")
You know, the one where all our phones were supposed to get a test message at 2:18pm EDT today. My phone was turned on, the ringer was on, no message of any sort. Not that I have a problem with that, just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/2 "2018-10-03T18:49:42Z")
Mine went off, it was the same tone I get for an amber alert or flooding in the area. ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/3 "2018-10-03T18:52:15Z")
Worked for me. I have a Sprint Android-type phone. Could the service provider and phone model make a difference? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/4 "2018-10-03T18:52:41Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Mine went off, it was the same tone I get for an amber alert or flooding in the area. Wonder if it’s because my cell phone isn’t a smart phone. But I don’t recall hearing anything that said the warning would go out to smart phones only. And I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten amber alerts on my archaic flip phone. ETA: It does get texts after all. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/5 "2018-10-03T18:55:36Z")
Wife’s did, mine didn’t. Both the same model of iPhone. I suppose if it was an actual emergency, I’d want to know; I guess it’s a good thing they test. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/6 "2018-10-03T18:56:30Z")
> [@2nd\_Law](#): > > Worked for me. I have a Sprint Android-type phone. Could the service provider and phone model make a difference? Supposedly there was no opting out of this. If the service provider could make a difference, I can see it having an effect on the demand for that provider. Ditto the phone model, at least within the universe of smart phones. (Doubt that anyone’s going to regress to non-smart phones just to avoid getting these alerts, though.) ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/7 "2018-10-03T18:57:19Z")
I didn’t get it. I’m in Pennsylvania (Philly burbs). My Iphone is older, a model 6S or some such. My work updated our email system and told us to update our phones if we wanted to keep work email linked to our phones. The update didn’t work on my phone, so I went to the help desk. They said the the phone version was too old. I asked what I should do, and they said that I needed a new phone. I have not gotten a new phone. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/8 "2018-10-03T18:59:08Z")
No Alert. As usual, I am out of the loop. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/9 "2018-10-03T18:59:41Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Wonder if it’s because my cell phone isn’t a smart phone. Not all phones are WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) capable. That even applies to older smart phones. This isn’t a normal SMS text message so recieving them is irrelevant. All the major service providers and some smaller providers participate in the system. Your service provider may not be one of them. [Is Your Cell Phone WEA Capable? - FEMA](https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1446582997160-8a6682499edd095f9f9a515ee2c77142/IsYourPhoneWEACapable_Final_Compliant.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/10 "2018-10-03T19:00:27Z")
My office is in Arlington, VA and oddly enough is in the same building as the Koch Brothers think tank. The text reads: Presidential Alert THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/11 "2018-10-03T19:02:22Z")
Got it, was truly disappointed nobody hacked it to include a dick pic. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/12 "2018-10-03T19:03:05Z")
I got it, forgot it was going to happen and the noise startled me a bit. Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime on T-Mobile. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/13 "2018-10-03T19:12:12Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Got it, was truly disappointed nobody hacked it to include a dick pic. Of a tiny orange mushroom. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/14 "2018-10-03T19:13:08Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Not all phones are WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) capable. That even applies to older smart phones. This isn’t a normal SMS text message so recieving them is irrelevant. All the major service providers and some smaller providers participate in the system. Your service provider may not be one of them. > > [Is Your Cell Phone WEA Capable? - FEMA](https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1446582997160-8a6682499edd095f9f9a515ee2c77142/IsYourPhoneWEACapable_Final_Compliant.pdf) I have Verizon and it didn’t come through. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/15 "2018-10-03T19:13:39Z")
Got it on my work phone and the “Where is my husband?” device in Little Rock. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/16 "2018-10-03T19:14:07Z")
I have a ancient flip phone, and yes i got it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/17 "2018-10-03T19:16:40Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Not all phones are WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) capable. That even applies to older smart phones. This isn’t a normal SMS text message so recieving them is irrelevant. All the major service providers and some smaller providers participate in the system. Your service provider may not be one of them. My cellular provider is Virgin Mobile. They participate. > [@](#): > > [Is Your Cell Phone WEA Capable? - FEMA](https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1446582997160-8a6682499edd095f9f9a515ee2c77142/IsYourPhoneWEACapable_Final_Compliant.pdf) Nothing on that page seemed to apply to my phone, other than checking the owner’s manual, which hell if I know what I’ve done with it. No Apps menu, because it’s a phone from the era before apps. The Messages menu just has voice and text messages sent and received. The Settings menu doesn’t seem to have anything besides turning certain types of warning noises off and on. It’s as if they forgot that legacy tech still exists. Or remembered, but just not back to the pre-smartphone days. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/18 "2018-10-03T19:17:01Z")
I got it on my Moto X. My mom’s flip phone got it too. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/19 "2018-10-03T19:17:43Z")
I don’t have a smart phone and I didn’t get anything on my cheapie flip phone. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/20 "2018-10-03T19:18:24Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I have a ancient flip phone, and yes i got it. Interesting. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385.md?page=2)