Why Everyone’s Phone Alarm Will Go Off On Wednesday Afternoon

At around 1:20 p.m. this Wednesday, the alarm is going to go off on your cell phone. In fact, it will go off on everyone's phone that day. But there is no need to panic.

So how do I know that your phone will go off on Wednesday afternoon? CNN reports that the federal government has announced that it will conduct a nationwide test of its Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. On Wednesday afternoon the EAS portion of the test will send alerts to radios and TVs while the WEA part of the test send the alert directly to your cell phone.

What will the test look like? CNN reports that starting at around 1:20 p.m. CST on Wednesday, all wireless phones should receive an alert and a test message that reads, "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed." The text will be sent along with a unique tone and vibration that is meant to make the alert accessible to the entire public.

CNN reports that Wednesday's test will be just the seventh ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, the alerts sent through radio and TV. It will be the third test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts, but only the second to be sent through consumer cellular devices. The government is issuing this heads-up about the test because there have been testing errors in the past. So when your phone alarm goes off Wednesday afternoon, relax. This is only a test.