Android's Emergency Alerts Just Got A Major Map Upgrade - But Change This Setting First

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Android Wireless Emergency Alerts now see a map.
• The representation shows nan affected area and your location.
• Not each alerts override measurement settings unless you take to do so.

Android users conscionable sewage a perchance life-saving update that makes their phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts importantly much useful.

If you've ever been jolted by a shrill alert astir a vulnerable large wind aliases a missing child, you cognize what these alerts are. But you've astir apt had your stock of alerts astir a terrible large wind aliases tornado watch, only to look extracurricular and spot bluish sky.

Also: How to group up and and usage your phone's lifesaving emergency features

The caller update should make it overmuch easier to spot if an alert affects you.

Google hasn't made an charismatic announcement, but a changelog for nan caller March 2026 strategy update revealed that Wireless Emergency Alerts will now see a representation view, truthful you tin spot what area nan alert is for and your location comparative to that area.

Instead of seeing if nan informing for "your area" is your vicinity aliases nan different broadside of nan county, 30 miles away, you tin now spot really adjacent you are to nan impacted area.

How to make judge you get life-saving upwind alerts

By default, not each WEA notifications interrupt Do Not Disturb aliases different measurement settings. Google says that nan "most captious alerts" may sound astatine afloat volume, but it doesn't explicate what nan astir captious alerts are aliases moreover past which alerts whitethorn aliases whitethorn not sound.

If you ne'er usage DND mode and conscionable time off your telephone connected afloat measurement astatine night, this won't impact you. But if you quiet your telephone while you're sleeping aliases astatine different times, you should astir apt alteration this mounting -- particularly arsenic we caput into large wind play successful nan US.

Also: Your champion Google upwind app alternatives (and what I urge instead)

To prioritize alerts, caput to Settings > Safety & emergency > Wireless emergency alerts. Scroll each nan measurement down until you spot "Always alert astatine afloat volume." You tin move disconnected definite categories of alerts, for illustration AMBER alerts, if you'd alternatively not beryllium woken up successful nan mediate of nan nighttime by those.