# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/41 "2018-10-03T21:20:50Z")
I got nothing. Zip. Zero. Who do I thank? Blu/Cricket. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/42 "2018-10-03T21:23:10Z")
I got it on our Verizon flip phone. Not on the Google Fi phone (a Nexus smartphone). ---
**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, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/43 "2018-10-03T21:25:10Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > You may have been deleted in the process. Try asking roommates or family members if you still seem to exist. Judging by the Firebug’s irritated reaction when I made him sit down and do his homework, I still exist. I am annoying, therefore I am. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/44 "2018-10-03T21:28:43Z")
Now we know why there were testing the system. Apparently a few bugs remain. PS: I got my alert twice. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/45 "2018-10-03T21:36:31Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > 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. The 6S runs the latest version of iOS, iOS 12. I don’t understand why you would need a new phone. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/46 "2018-10-03T21:42:37Z")
Hope this doesn’t turn into Stephen King’s Cell!!! ---
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/47 "2018-10-03T22:12:55Z")
iPhone 8 on AT&T. Didn’t receive it. However, for some reason all of my co-workers on the same corporate plan did get it. Didn’t they say that ~70% of cell phones would receive it? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/48 "2018-10-03T22:14:42Z")
All the phones belonging to the people in the cubicles around me chirped at the same time. We all thought it was some kind of building alarm, then realized what it was and laughed. My own phone was at home recharging and is still turned off in the other room. It’s an older phone, so I’ll have to check it and see if I got any message. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/49 "2018-10-03T22:23:00Z")
Droid Turbo 2 phone on Verizon. I got my alert today. It came through the same “Emergency Alert” app that I get Amber alerts on. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/50 "2018-10-03T23:00:30Z")
I did not get it. Galaxy S6 on the SimpleMobile network. I’m slightly (but not terribly) interested in knowing whether it was because (a) my phone does not support WEA, (b) SimpleMobile does not support it, or © there was some glitch in the system that caused the message to fail to reach my phone. I guess I could do some research about (a) and (b) but, eh, don’t really care. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/51 "2018-10-03T23:01:44Z")
I posted this in the thread in IMHO but it fits better here: My classroom is deep inside the building so I didn’t get an alert (I’m on AT&T), but my students who were on Verizon did. Only a few knew about it ahead of time (they’re college students). SO - if you didn’t get the alert at that moment, you don’t ever get notified? No alerts when reception improves? That seems like a failure in the design of the system. ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/52 "2018-10-03T23:21:49Z")
I was in a Subway and I glanced at the TV. It said something about the Presdential alert message. As soon as I looked at it, my phone started buzzing. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/53 "2018-10-03T23:34:24Z")
I left my phone in the car, so I missed it, but apparently my phone did go off, as there was a notification on it when I finally got to it. Iphone SE, T-Mobile. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/54 "2018-10-04T00:06:26Z")
Oh, and I got it twice as well. Still hate trump, so the brainwashing didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/55 "2018-10-04T00:58:22Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > SO - if you didn’t get the alert at that moment, you don’t ever get notified? No alerts when reception improves? That seems like a failure in the design of the system. As I understand it, the message comes with an expiration time. This test message had an expiration time of 30 minutes. Presumably a real alert would not expire until the danger had passed. ---
**Author:** ![Map\_Ylow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/map_ylow/32/85_2.png) [@Map\_Ylow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Map_Ylow)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/56 "2018-10-04T01:06:05Z")
I got it. As did most everyone else around me. It was definitely an…experience…being in the middle of Aldi and hearing so many phones screeching at once. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/57 "2018-10-04T01:35:54Z")
I got it at KMart. Older IPhone 5 on AT&T. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/58 "2018-10-04T01:42:09Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > As I understand it, the message comes with an expiration time. This test message had an expiration time of 30 minutes. Presumably a real alert would not expire until the danger had passed. Aha. Thus the difference. The kids taking a math test in my classroom were startled despite me reminding them beforehand that this test was coming. Some had their phones turned off but got the alert when they turned their phones back on. Those finishing the test later might have been past the 30 minute limit, thus explaining why they didn’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/59 "2018-10-04T01:48:27Z")
My 5 year old Samsung Galaxy S3 on AT&T didn’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385/60 "2018-10-04T01:55:34Z")
Didn’t get it. LG Android smart phone on Verizon. I just assume Trump knows I didn’t vote for him and is leaving me out of the loop in spite. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-test-of-the-warning-system/822385.md?page=4)