AMBER alerts (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) is a national emergency response system in the United States. It’s devised to help find abducted children. They are used to broadcast information about the missing children and suspected kidnappers in the nearby areas. AMBER alerts help find the missing children by sending out important information and mobilizing as many people as possible.

But you can even get AMBER alerts from areas/ states not nearby in some instances. Moreover, AMBER and other Emergency alerts are designed to be disruptive so they can get your attention. But sometimes, they can become an annoyance, especially when you need to focus or sleep.

The alert associated with the AMBER alerts – the loud, alarm-like noise – can also be too disruptive in places you are supposed to have your phone on silent. And since they can bypass not only the ‘Silent’ setting on your iPhone but also the ‘Do Not Disturb’ or other Focus modes, there’s no way to keep them on without disturbing you.

Although you should keep them on because of how helpful they can be, if you desperately need the peace and quiet, you can easily disable them. And when they won’t be a nuisance any longer, simply enable them again.

Note: AMBER alerts and other Emergency alerts are not available in all countries/ regions. Even in those regions, they’re only available when using a SIM card from a supported carrier.

Turn off AMBER Alerts

AMBER alerts are turned on by default but it’s easy to disable them on your iPhone. Open the Settings app and tap the option for ‘Notifications’.

In the notification settings, scroll all the way down, past the list of all apps. You’ll find a section for ‘Government Alerts’ or ‘Emergency Alerts’ there. If you don’t see this section, AMBER and other emergency alerts aren’t supported in your country.

Turn off the toggle for ‘AMBER Alerts’ to disable them. To enable the AMBER alerts again, navigate to the notification settings and enable the toggle again.

You can also enable/ disable other emergency alerts and Public Safety alerts from here if you want. Disabling AMBER alerts does not affect the other emergency alerts.

Other Emergency and Public Safety alerts include alerts for severe weather, such as tornadoes, flash floods, etc., Presidential or other government alerts, and other imminent threats to your safety or life.

We’d like to remind you again that keeping these alerts enabled is highly recommended, whether it’s AMBER or other emergency alerts. AMBER alerts can prove immensely helpful in case of child abduction. And other emergency alerts warn you about threats to your life or other national emergencies. Only disable these alerts when they’re truly a nuisance and enable them again as soon as you can.