# What's the deal with Amber Alerts on cell phones in Florida? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324 "2015-10-11T18:09:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/1 "2015-10-11T18:09:15Z")
Hello Everyone, Last night the family and I were driving in Orlando an all of a sudden all of our cell phones start sounding a shrill alarm. We all got an Amber Alert on our phones. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this. I’m fine with this, but the stupid alerts keep coming every few hours and your phone keeps alerting until you confirm that you received it. The other strange thing is this particular alert advised us to be on the lookout for “an orange, Grey or black sedan”. How is that information even remotely useful? No make, model or specific color. So, when did this start and is it a Florida only thing? ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/2 "2015-10-11T18:18:07Z")
I’ve gotten it twice in Virginia, though the last time was more than a year ago, so I can at least verify that it’s not just a Florida thing. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/3 "2015-10-11T18:19:29Z")
This [webpage](http://www.missingkids.com/Amber/WEA) from The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children explains the alerts. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/4 "2015-10-11T18:21:10Z")
Illinois did it for a while too, and may still. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/5 "2015-10-11T18:38:21Z")
I got that alert in South Florida, while I was driving on the highway. I glanced at my phone to see why it was making noise, and hit the ok button or whatever it was called so it would stop making noise. The alert went away. I’m not sure if I have a record of it that I could check when I got to a safe place or not. It would have been nice if there were an option to read the alert out to me. Shame I’m not in the cell phone business anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/6 "2015-10-11T18:57:10Z")
[How to turn off Amber Alerts on your Android phone.](http://www.androidcentral.com/amber-alerts-and-android-what-you-need-know) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/7 "2015-10-11T19:10:59Z")
I get them all the time on my iPhone in California. ETA: Along with fire, weather and Acts of God alerts. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/8 "2015-10-11T20:28:03Z")
I was juuuust starting to take a nap when my phone went off. It must have been a statewide alert, since I’m in Fort Myers. But I had to go to the FDLE site to get any useful details and find out the girl was in Orlando. “Orange, gray or black sedan” is hardly helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/9 "2015-10-11T21:55:43Z")
They [can be turned off on iPhones](http://osxdaily.com/2014/05/01/how-disable-amber-alerts-iphone/) as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/10 "2015-10-12T02:15:39Z")
I don’t support them and want them to go away. I came to this conclusion when I was jolted awake at 3 on a Sunday morning about a case 60 miles away. No body has that right to interfere with my peace like that. I shut this feature off on my phone. I did note there is another alarm on my phone that I can’t shut off. It’s some national emergency one. Apparently the president has that right to disturb me. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/11 "2015-10-12T02:18:32Z")
And you’ll be glad that the President can disturb your sleep when he has to tell you about the zombie apocalypse. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/12 "2015-10-12T04:08:02Z")
In Canada, reception of amber alerts is voluntary rather than compulsory. You do not receive amber alerts unless you ask to receive them. If you change your mind, you can opt out at any time. I expect that mandatory reception of amber alerts would quickly become a voting issue. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/13 "2015-10-12T07:33:45Z")
They exist in Ohio and Michigan too. I turned them off after they woke me up one afternoon. ---
**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 12, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/14 "2015-10-12T13:00:45Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > In Canada, reception of amber alerts is voluntary rather than compulsory. You do not receive amber alerts unless you ask to receive them. If you change your mind, you can opt out at any time. I expect that mandatory reception of amber alerts would quickly become a voting issue. They’re not mandatory here, either. I can easily turn them off on my phone. But they are on by default. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/15 "2015-10-12T13:05:37Z")
Not all phones have this option. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/16 "2015-10-12T20:18:13Z")
I found it on my Galaxy S4 in an app called Emergency Alerts. ---
**Author:** ![TheSeaOtter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@TheSeaOtter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSeaOtter)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/17 "2015-10-12T20:22:56Z")
I kinda wish the phone could be smart about displaying these. Like, if it’s between 10pm and 6am local time, and the phone hasn’t moved in the past half hour… I’m asleep, it’s not going to help anything to wake me up with an alert about a gray/blue sedan. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/18 "2015-10-12T20:26:25Z")
Amber alerts I don’t mind. But a couple years ago I got one in the middle of the night about flooding. I don’t need to be woken up in the middle of the night for a flooding warning. Worst case, the water will wake me up. And if it’s a tsunami roaring inland from a meteor strike, all I’d be able to do anyway is bend over real far and kiss my ass goodbye. ---
**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 12, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/19 "2015-10-12T21:07:54Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Amber alerts I don’t mind. But a couple years ago I got one in the middle of the night about flooding. > > I don’t need to be woken up in the middle of the night for a flooding warning. Worst case, the water will wake me up. Those are the ones I’ve gotten the most of. I think I’ve gotten maybe three Amber alerts since I’ve gotten my phone, but about a half dozen flooding ones here in Chicago. Never gotten flooded yet, though. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324/20 "2015-10-17T23:24:17Z")
When I initially read this thread last week, I debated whether to turn off Amber Alerts. I didn’t. I changed my mind last night at 1:52am when I was awoken by an Amber Alert in PA, 500km away. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-amber-alerts-on-cell-phones-in-florida/734324.md?page=2)