How to turn off AMBER Alerts on an iPhone takes only a few taps, but the exact options available depend on your country, carrier, and device settings. Turning off AMBER Alerts also does not disable every emergency notification your phone can receive.
If you only want to stop missing-child alerts without changing other safety notifications, it helps to know which toggle controls which type of alert. Here is how to change the setting and what will remain active afterward.
1. How to Turn Off Amber Alerts on iPhone
On supported iPhones, AMBER Alerts are managed from the Government Alerts section in Notifications.
Step 1: Open Notifications Settings
Open the Settings app and tap Notifications.
Scroll past the notification settings for individual apps. Government Alerts appear near the bottom of the screen rather than alongside normal app notifications.
Step 2: Find Government Alerts
Scroll to the Government Alerts section.
The options you see depend on your country, carrier, and iPhone configuration. In the United States, this section can include AMBER Alerts, Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, and National Alerts.
If you do not see AMBER Alerts or the Government Alerts section at all, that does not necessarily mean something is wrong with your iPhone. Some alert types are not available in every country or through every carrier.
Step 3: Disable AMBER Alerts
Find AMBER Alerts and switch the toggle off.
The change applies to that alert category. You do not need to restart your iPhone.
If you want AMBER Alerts again later, return to Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts and turn the toggle back on.
Why the AMBER Alerts Toggle May Be Missing
Not every iPhone displays the same Government Alerts menu.
Apple states that government-alert support can depend on the country or region, carrier, SIM or eSIM, and iPhone model. Some countries also require certain government alerts to remain enabled.
If the AMBER Alerts option is missing, check whether to make sure you can carry out how to turn off AMBER Alerts on iPhone:
- Your carrier supports Government Alerts on the device.
- AMBER Alerts are available in your current country or region.
- Your iPhone is using an active supported SIM or eSIM.
- The phone is running a current version of iOS.
If the Government Alerts section still does not appear, contact your carrier before assuming the phone has a software problem.
2. What Happens After Turning Off AMBER Alerts?
Turning off AMBER Alerts does not disable every government or emergency notification on your iPhone.
In the United States, several alert categories can appear under Government Alerts.
- AMBER Alerts are issued in qualifying missing-child cases. Turning off this category stops those alerts where Apple and the carrier allow users to control them.
- Emergency Alerts cover certain imminent threats to life or safety. On current iOS versions, tapping Emergency Alerts may also reveal additional settings, depending on your region and device.
- Public Safety Alerts are a separate category for important public-safety information. Their availability varies by region.
- National Alerts are different. In the United States, users cannot opt out of National Alerts. This is the current name for the category previously known as Presidential Alerts.
So if you turn off AMBER Alerts but later receive another loud government notification, the setting has not necessarily failed. The new message may belong to a different category.
3. How to Manage Other Government and Test Alerts
Test Alerts are separate from real AMBER and emergency messages.
In the United States, supported iPhones connected to a U.S. carrier can receive Test Emergency Alerts. This also applies when using a U.S. SIM or eSIM and in certain roaming situations.
Test Alerts are turned off by default on current iOS versions.
If the option is available on your iPhone, go to:
Settings > Notifications > Test Alerts
You can then turn the setting on or off.
Local authorities determine when test messages are sent and how frequently they occur. Disabling Test Alerts does not disable real AMBER Alerts, Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, or National Alerts.
What Are Enhanced Safety Alerts?
Newer iPhones may show another category called Enhanced Safety Alerts.
These are separate from the carrier-based Government Alerts discussed above. Apple currently supports Enhanced Safety Alerts in selected regions, including the United States and Taiwan, on iOS 26.2 or later.
Depending on availability, the system can provide alerts related to hazards such as earthquakes or imminent threats. These alerts can be delivered through Wi-Fi or cellular data and may look or sound different from a normal Government Alert.
To review them, go to:
Settings > Notifications > Enhanced Safety Alerts
Available controls can include Earthquake Alerts, Imminent Threat Alerts, and settings related to alert delivery.
This distinction matters because turning off AMBER Alerts does not automatically disable Enhanced Safety Alerts.
4. Why You May Still Receive Emergency Alerts
Receiving another safety alert does not necessarily mean AMBER Alerts were turned back on.
A few situations can explain it.
- The alert belongs to another category. Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, and National Alerts are separate from AMBER Alerts.
- The alert cannot be disabled. Some government notifications must remain active under local rules. In the United States, National Alerts cannot be opted out of.
- It came through Enhanced Safety Alerts. Supported iPhones can receive these separately from carrier-delivered Government Alerts.
- An app generated the alert. Weather apps and other services have their own notification settings and are not controlled by the AMBER Alerts toggle.
If you receive an unexpected alert, check its label before changing more notification settings. Knowing how to turn off AMBER Alerts on iPhone for several unrelated safety categories may not solve the problem you were trying to address.
>>>Read more: How to Turn Off Focus on iPhone: Fast Ways to Disable It
5. Managing Other Safety Notifications on iPhone
AMBER Alerts are only one source of safety notifications.
For example, the Weather app can send severe-weather notifications based on your location and notification settings. Other apps can provide their own location, safety, or emergency information.
These are controlled separately from Government Alerts.
If your goal is to reduce unwanted alerts, identify which app or system sent the notification before disabling additional categories. The name shown on the alert can usually help distinguish an AMBER Alert from an Emergency Alert or an app notification.
6. FAQs
These quick answers cover what people usually wonder before or after knowing how to turn off AMBER Alerts on iPhone.
Is it illegal to turn off AMBER alerts?
No. Where the option is available, iPhone users can turn off AMBER Alerts. However, not every government alert is optional. In the United States, National Alerts cannot be disabled.
Why is the Government Alerts section missing on my iPhone?
Government Alert settings vary by country, carrier, SIM or eSIM, and iPhone model. AMBER Alerts are also not available in every region, so a missing toggle does not necessarily indicate a problem.
Do AMBER alerts still play sound even on silent mode?
Government alerts use a special alert sound, but behavior can vary by alert category and region. Do not assume every AMBER Alert will always override Silent mode or Focus settings.
Will turning off alerts affect Apple Watch notifications too?
Government Alert preferences are managed through the paired iPhone, and supported alert types enabled on the iPhone can also apply to Apple Watch. Availability still depends on the device, carrier, and region.
Conclusion
Knowing how to turn off AMBER Alerts is straightforward once you find the Government Alerts section, but the AMBER toggle controls only one part of the iPhone’s safety-notification system.
Before changing additional settings, check whether the notification you want to stop is actually an AMBER Alert. Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, National Alerts, Test Alerts, and Enhanced Safety Alerts follow separate rules, and some may remain active even when AMBER Alerts are turned off.
