What to Do When Phones and the Internet Go Down

When your phone shows no signal and the broadband light has gone dead, the first thing to know is that you still have ways to reach help. If you need 999 in a life-threatening emergency, try calling from both a mobile and a landline, because if one is disrupted the other may be available, and emergency calls from mobiles automatically connect to any available mobile network¹. In the most serious circumstances your mobile, landline and broadband could all be down at once, which is why it pays to have a battery or wind-up radio and a paper list of phone numbers ready before anything goes wrong¹.

The second thing to know is that the government can warn you even when data services are struggling. The UK Emergency Alerts system sends messages to compatible 4G and 5G phones in an area of risk, and your phone does not have to be connected to mobile data or wifi to receive one³. Alerts arrive within about 4 to 10 seconds of being sent, appear on screen for 20 seconds, and sound a loud siren-like noise for up to 10 seconds⁵.

This page walks through what to do in order: reach 999, receive warnings, and stay informed until the networks come back.

Calling 999 when your phone or internet is down

If someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, always call 999⁹. When you call, an operator will ask which emergency service you need; in a life-threatening medical emergency, ask for the ambulance service¹⁰. Do not call 999 if it is not an emergency, as this could delay helping someone who needs urgent assistance¹⁰.

The crucial fact during an outage is that emergency calls are treated specially. Even if you have no signal on your usual mobile network, calling 999 will automatically connect through another mobile network if one is available⁷. Ofcom, the communications regulator, states this plainly, and it means a phone showing "no service" may still get a 999 call out, because the call roams onto whatever network is still working in your area⁷. If you cannot reach 999 or 112, try calling from both a mobile and a landline, as if one is disrupted then the other may be available¹.

If the outage is caused by a power cut and you have no back-up power to your landline phone, or you have a corded landline, Greater Manchester's resilience guidance advises you to attempt to call 999 or 112 using a mobile: you might receive overlapping signal from a nearby area that is unaffected¹¹. If your mobile network is down but you still have a working wifi connection, you may be able to make calls over wifi by enabling wifi calling on your device¹. Some mobile devices can also use Emergency SOS (on iOS) or Satellite SOS (on Android) to contact emergency services via satellite where no mobile networks are available¹².

If your call is disconnected for any reason, ambulance call handlers will attempt to call you back immediately, so stay on the line as long as you can and keep the phone free afterwards¹³. If your phone shows signal but calls will not connect, try sending a standard text message: texts might still get through even if the network is extremely busy, and using them helps reduce pressure on the network¹².

If your landline is your only way of calling for help

Contact your landline provider to understand whether your phone will work during a power cut, especially if it is your only way of making emergency calls or you have a telecare kit connected¹⁴. Cordless telephones need power to work, so a corded phone that draws its power from the line is the safer backup¹⁵. Northern Ireland's direct.gov guidance advises having the phone numbers you might need to hand, and notes that a non-mains powered landline telephone will help you stay in touch during disruptions to your power supply¹⁶. If your landline will not work during a power cut, your provider might offer you a free solution, such as a back-up battery unit, for a minimum of one hour¹⁷.

Emergency Alerts reach your phone without mobile data or wifi

The Emergency Alerts system enables people to be contacted via their mobile phone and tablet if their lives are at risk in an emergency⁸. Alerts are sent using mobile phone networks to compatible phones and tablets in a specific geographical area¹⁸. Only the government and the emergency services can send them¹⁹, and they are used to warn you about life-threatening emergencies such as severe flooding, wildfires and extreme storms¹⁹.

The point that matters during an outage: your mobile phone or tablet does not have to be connected to mobile data or wifi to get an alert⁴. The alert travels over the mobile network's own signalling, not over the internet, so a broadband failure does not block it. Emergency alerts work on all 4G and 5G phone networks in the UK³. After the alert is sent by the government or emergency services, the message is received on a mobile phone within about 4 to 10 seconds⁵.

Alerts do not need your location or your phone number, and they do not track your location, need your phone number, or collect personal data²¹. You will get alerts based on your current location, not where you live or work, and you do not need to turn on location services¹⁹. When you get an alert, stop what you are doing and follow the instructions of the alert²².

If you do not have a compatible device, you will still be informed about an emergency: the emergency services have other ways of warning people, and those without a mobile will still be made aware through the news and local emergency services¹⁹. Denbighshire Council advises people less likely to have a mobile to identify someone who lives near them who can inform them of any Emergency Alerts being sent⁵.

Which phones get Emergency Alerts, and how to check yours

Emergency alerts work on iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later, and Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later³. All mobile phones and tablets that use 4G and 5G will get alerts⁴, and other phones that do not run iOS or Android may also receive them³. If you have an earlier version of Android, you may still be able to receive alerts: to check, search your device settings for 'emergency alerts'³.

Two things affect whether an alert actually arrives. First, make sure your device has all the latest software updates³. Emergency Alerts are sent to compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones within an area of risk, if they have the latest software update, and mobile phones released before 2015 are likely to require some changes to the settings²³. Second, check that alerts are not switched off: search for "emergency alerts" in your phone settings and follow the instructions for your device¹⁸.

If you have medical or personal alarm devices that use phone or internet connections, check with the provider or manufacturer how they work if the network is down, for example how your personal alarm or diabetes sensor would function if mobile or broadband service is lost¹. Users of telecare devices or other alerting services should be aware that their devices might not work without electricity or internet¹⁷.

When an alert will not reach you

You will not receive alerts if your device is turned off, connected to a 2G or 3G network, wifi only, or not compatible³. You may not receive alerts if your device is in airplane mode¹⁹. This matters most for people who keep a hidden or concealed phone: it is possible to opt out of the system if you need your phone to stay concealed⁵.

The likelihood of receiving a message in any given year is low, and the most frequent use is expected to be for flooding²³. Emergency Alerts will not replace local news, radio, television or social media¹⁹, so treat them as one warning channel among several, not the only one.

What an alert looks and sounds like

You will know if you get an Emergency Alert because you will hear a loud siren-like sound and your phone will use a distinct vibration⁸. Your mobile phone or tablet may make a loud siren-like sound even if it is set to silent, vibrate, and read out the alert⁴. A message will appear on your screen telling you about the emergency and what you need to do²¹, and the alert will give you clear instructions of what to do to stay safe²¹.

The timings are fixed: the alert will appear on your device for 20 seconds, and you will hear a loud, siren-like sound for up to 10 seconds²¹. The sound and vibration last for about 10 seconds¹⁹. An alert will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information¹⁹.

When an alert arrives, your mobile phone or tablet may make a loud siren-like sound even if it is set on silent, vibrate, and read the alert out¹⁹. The sound and vibration last for about 10 seconds¹⁹. A message then appears on your screen telling you about the emergency and giving you clear instructions on what to do to stay safe¹⁹.

If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have an emergency alert if accessibility notifications have been enabled on your mobile phone or tablet¹⁹. Some phones will also read out the message and can override volume settings, and Emergency Alerts use a distinct vibration type. Testing with users who have hearing aids demonstrated that the reserved tone is pronounced for those individuals in a unique way, and for those with visual impairments screen magnification will also facilitate reading an Emergency Alert⁵.

If you dismiss an alert and need to find it again: on Android phones, the alert may be found in the Messages app or 'Emergency Alert History'; for iPhone users, the alert will be in your notifications, and if you delete your notifications, the alert will also be deleted²³.

How to tell a genuine alert from a scam text

Genuine alerts appear as a notification and include a link to gov.uk/alerts, where you can also check that an alert is genuine²¹. The government's advice is simple: visit gov.uk/alerts for more information and to check that an alert is genuine⁴. If in doubt, go to gov.uk/alerts or contact neighbours, friends or family in the nearby area to check whether they have received it too⁵.

Only the government and the emergency services can send Emergency Alerts¹⁹, and alerts will only be sent by the emergency services and government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies¹⁹. A text message asking you to click a different link, reply with personal details, or make a payment is not the Emergency Alerts system. The system does not need your phone number and does not collect personal data⁵, so anything requesting those things should be treated with suspicion and checked at gov.uk/alerts.

If you are driving when an alert sounds

If you are driving when you get an alert, you should carry on driving. Do not pick up the phone⁴. You should not read or otherwise respond to an Emergency Alert while driving or riding a motorcycle: continue driving and find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message²¹. It is illegal to use a hand-held device while driving or riding¹⁹, and the law still applies if you are stopped at traffic lights, queuing in traffic or supervising a learner driver²¹.

If there is nowhere safe or legal to stop close by and nobody else in the vehicle to read the alert, tune into live radio and wait for bulletins until you can find somewhere safe and legal to stop²¹. You can use a hand-held mobile phone if you are safely parked, or if you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it is unsafe or impractical to stop²¹. If you do use hands-free access, such as voice command, a dashboard holder or mat, or a windscreen mount, the device must not block the driver's view of the road or the traffic²¹.

Staying informed without a working phone

When the phone networks are down or jammed, radio becomes your main source of official news. If the power is out, use a battery-powered or wind-up radio, and try both digital and FM stations. You can also use a car radio, but in severe weather it might be safer to stay indoors²⁵. If it is not safe to go outside, go indoors, close all windows and doors, stay indoors and stay up to date using radio, TV or online information²⁵.

Communications providers should keep you informed during outages with clear, timely updates on what is happening, and where possible may offer temporary or alternative ways to stay connected. They often have a status page with updates on planned maintenance and significant incidents, which you can check from a working connection elsewhere¹. Information might also be provided through the UK Government's emergency alert system if mobile networks are available¹².

Get ready before anything fails

The preparations are small and worth doing now:

• Keep your mobile phone charged so you can make calls in case of an emergency²⁶, and keep extra batteries to charge your phone²⁷.
• Charge mobile phones and power banks in case there is a power cut, and find your emergency plan and make sure it is up to date²⁸.
• Make sure your phone has all your important phone numbers in it, and have a list on paper too²⁹. Ask yourself: if you could not access numbers on your phone or online, how would you find those important numbers of family or your insurance?²⁷
• Consider how your family will stay in touch in an emergency, as mobile networks may be jammed and cordless telephones need power to work¹⁵.
• If you regularly travel for work, think through how you would get home without relying on mobile apps: know your usual route, but also be aware of at least one alternative, such as a different train line, bus route or road¹.
• Your mobile phone needs to be charged and switched on all the time, and a number to call in an emergency can be programmed into it³⁰.

Help for people who need it

If you are disabled or a carer, official guidance warns that users of telecare devices or other alerting services should be aware that their devices might not work without electricity or internet¹⁷. If your landline will not work during a power cut, your landline provider might offer you a free solution, such as a back-up battery unit, for a minimum of one hour¹⁷. In Scotland, guidance for disabled people and carers explains that a telecare provider will assess your needs and may provide a free battery backup and have engineers test it, so care alarms and other important devices continue to work during a power cut³¹.