India-Pakistan tension: How to activate government alerts on Android and iPhone

Emergency Alerts: India and Pakistan on Saturday agreed to de-escalate tensions between the two nations. However, within hours, Pakistan violated the ceasefire with blasts being heard in several locations including Jammu and Srinagar.

Local residents of the regions also witnessed projectiles in the air, and the nation went back into its blackouts in many regions of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and other border areas.

In the hours of crisis, it is essential for people to receive “Emergency Alerts” information directly from the government. Here are the steps through which you can turn on the emergency alert notification on your respective Android and iPhone devices. 

In an emergency situation, different sirens sounds mean different things. Check details here 

Emergency Alerts for Android users

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your phone

Step 2: Select “Safety and Emergency” or try looking for “Emergency alerts” in the search bar on the Settings application.

Step 3: Click on “Wireless emergency alerts”

Step 4: Activate all available alert options

Disclaimer — The exact name of the options will vary depending on the brand of Android phone, like Samsung, Realme, OnePlus, etc. “Wireless emergency alerts” can also be under Advanced Settings, More Settings, or Cell Broadcast. 

Emergency Alerts for iPhone users

Step 1: Open the “Settings” app and go to your “Notifications” Section.

Step 2: After entering, scroll to the bottom of the section to find a “Government Alerts”

Step 3: Select the action button to turn on the “Test Alerts” to receive critical updates from the government.

These are direct alerts from the nation's government, and in case of an emergency, keeping these alerts active could make the difference between life and death. Tensions still prevail between India and Pakistan after Pakistan reportedly breached a de-escalation agreement. 

India-Pakistan Ceasefire Agreement

India on Saturday, May 10, announced that the nation has entered into an agreement with Pakistan on Saturday, May 10, to stop firing action on each other through land and air from 5 p.m. (IST).

“The DGMO (Director General of Military Operations) of Pakistan called DGMO of India at 15.35 hours earlier this afternoon. It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 1700 hours IST,” said Vikram Misri, the Foreign Secretary of India.

Hours after India and Pakistan officially announced the mutual agreement, blasts were heard in Jammu city, and projectiles were spotted in the Indian airspace.

Gunshots and multiple blasts were also heard in Srinagar, while other places, Udhampur, Ferozepur, and Jaisalmer, were subject to citywide blackouts, according to residents in the regions.