What time is the alert? How to turn off the emergency alert test today

This afternoon, your phone is going to blare at you with a loud, grating tone, twice. It's a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System by FEMA and the FCC, intended to immediately alert every American over TV, radio and cellphone in the event of a national crisis. Which is a good thing.

Unless you're in an abusive household or are a survivor of domestic violence, and you're hiding a secret phone.

"Survivors of domestic violence are creative, resourceful, resilient, and tech-savvy," said a release from the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). "They often devise unique strategies to protect themselves and maintain their privacy and safety. One of the strategies that survivors may use is having a hidden phone, which often serves as a lifeline for connecting to support and assistance."

And that secret phone is about to loudly announce its presence, in a way that can't be turned off in the settings.

For days leading up to the test, domestic violence survivor programs have been warning anyone who may be at risk about the upcoming test, and messages have been shared across social media.

Even if you aren't hiding a secret phone in a hidden place or stashed in a go bag, anyone using hearing aids or other devices who hear phone noises directly in their ears may want to avoid the sudden, startling and possibly painful tone.

Emergency alert test: Wednesday's emergency alert may be annoying to some. For abuse victims, it may be dangerous

Be careful: Flagler sheriff to those in unsafe domestic situations: Power down before emergency alert

If you are in a dangerous situation, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233), test START to 88788, or chat live with a counselor at thehotline.org.

What is an emergency alert test?

Wednesday's alert will test the country's Emergency Alert System, called EAS, and Wireless Emergency Alerts, called WEA. The EAS test will alert radios and televisions, while the WEA alert will be sent to cellphones to make sure both systems are working properly.

Apple Watches with cellular data can also receive emergency, government and public safety alerts in certain regions, according to Apple.

Don't freak out: Nationwide test of emergency alert systems coming Oct. 4. This one will be in afternoon

It's not injecting nanoparticles in you: Conspiracy theories about FEMA’s Oct. 4 emergency alert test spread online

How loud will the emergency alert be?

WEA messages include a special tone and vibration, both repeated twice, according to the National Weather Service. It will be similar to the sound played during Amber alerts and is designed to be loud, jarring, and attention-getting since that's the point.

You'll be able to tell it's a test and not an actual alert because it will come with a message, which will say:

“This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public."

How do I block the emergency alert test?

Turn your phone completely off at 2 p.m. and leave it off till 3.

Some alerts, such as AMBER alerts and weather warnings, can be turned off in your phone's settings. This one cannot. Some people on social media have suggested putting your phone on mute, turning off your WiFi or putting your phone in airplane mode. That may not be effective here, the alert is designed to reach everybody in case of catastrophic events.

And even if your phone makes no sound, it will vibrate and light up with the text message which may indicate its location.

The NNEDV issued a warning, advising survivors that the methods they usually use to keep hidden phones hidden will not work for this specific notice. Your best course of action, to be certain: turn the phone completely off.

"We're suggesting that the survivor just turn the device off during the scheduled time," Audace Garnett, a technology safety project manager at NNEDV, told USA TODAY. "Just keep the device turned off. If you do have any phone calls that you're going to schedule, do it another time. Do not take the risk by having your device on."

According to FEMA, cellphones that are turned off for the entire 30-minute test period should not receive the alert message once it's turned back on.

What time is the emergency alert test?

The test is scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Oct. 4, when cell towers will begin broadcasting the test for approximately 30 minutes, according to FEMA. Your phone will receive the test once and will not be repeated.

If you have family or friends living in another time zone, warn them the alert will go out at:

• 2:20 p.m. Eastern time

• 1:20 p.m. Central time

• 12:20 p.m. Mountain time

• 11:20 a.m. Pacific time

• 10:20 a.m. in Alaska

• 8:20 a.m. in Hawaii

On some devices, you will be able to stop it once it sounds by tapping a button.

Countdown clock: Emergency alert system test coming this afternoon

Can I block other emergency alerts?

You can opt out of receiving other WEA messages such as Amber alerts and weather notices, but you can't block the WEA or presidential notices, according to FEMA.

How to block emergency alerts on iPhone

To turn off future emergency and severe weather alerts on an iPhone:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications.

2. Scroll down to the bottom and look for Government Alerts.

3. Turn off the alerts you don't want to receive by tapping each slider next to it from green to grey: AMBER Alerts, emergency alerts, public safety alerts and test alerts.

You can also turn alert sounds off by selecting emergency alerts.

How to block emergency alerts on Android

Check your phone's instructions for your specific model's settings. The Android website has general instructions:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Select Notifications > Wireless emergency alerts.

3. Choose how often you want to receive these alerts and customize your settings.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Emergency alert test: When it is, how to turn it off and block it