Need emergency alerts GONE!!
boosnicole
Newbie

I am currently travelling abroad. I continuously receive emergency alerts in a foreign language from the various service providers here. I don't think they are even alerts - some of them are just a single letter of the alphabet. I'll get them in the middle of the night - which wakes me up, of course. I have a samsung galaxy 3, with kitkat. It has the new emergency alerts app. I've turned off all of the alerts in the app (except for presidential, of course, b/c i can't). I've put my phone into blocking mode to disable all notifications. Nothing works to prevent them except to put the phone into airplane mode, rendering my phone unuseable.


I understand the need for them in the US, but how shortsighted to not be able to disable them when abroad. There has to be a solution to this.

Labels (1)
0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

boosnicole,

I am so sorry to hear about the notifications you are receiving. Are the notifications coming through as text messages or just alerts on the device? Do these notifications only happen at a certain time each day or when you are in a certain area? Have you been receiving these notifications since you arrived in your current location? Where are you currently located?

LindseyT_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
boosnicole
Newbie

Prior to kitkat on my device (i.e., about a month ago), the notifications were coming in as text messages. I was quite concerned because there was a lot and i didn't want to be charged. I contacted the VW chat and they 'disabled' them, but didn't really. I still received them, but i wasn't charged for any of them. (there was no way to block the sender, as they came from 'unknown')

Now with kitkat, they come through as 'emergency alerts' and are accompanied by a really loud, annoying sound.

I receive them anytime I am in the Tokyo area (I travel there every couple of months). I received them randomly throughout the day and night. Sometimes they are in kanji and sometimes they are a series of alerts of just a single letter (like I'll get 10 notifications with just the letter 'd' in them).

i don't read kanji so i had someone (Japanese) translate one of the notifications for me...basically it was a small news alert. The one that he interpreted was about some Nature researcher; nothing important.

I am now back in the US, but I would like a solution to this issue for the next time I travel there.

0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

I'd be happy to help you boosnicole! Just go to the Emergency Alerts app on your phone. Press Menu>Settings>Alert Types, and uncheck any alerts you do not wish to receive.

Thank you,
MichelleH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
boosnicole
Newbie

I unchecked all of the alert types (except presidential, of course) as soon as I received the first alert. That did absolutely nothing.

0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
bamk23
Newbie

I have the same problem in Japan, not limited to Tokyo area.  Getting up to 50 "emergency" alerts post day.  None are emergencies, mostly just a single letter,  like "d" or "n", or sometimes news stories in Kanji.  As mentioned by the previous poster,  all alerts are unchecked in the emergency alert app.  Please provide a solution.

0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Hello bamk23, let's get to the bottom of this together! What make & model phone are you currently using that is receiving the alerts? If you have an Android operating system go to wireless & networks section in settings and scroll down to Cell broadcasts. Keep us posted if those items are turned off as well. If you have a different operating system let us know so we can get separate steps.

WiltonA_VZW
VZW Support
Follow us on twitter @VZWSupport

0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
bamk23
Newbie

I have a Samsung S4, my wife an S3, with the same issue.   Operating system is Android 4.4.2. 

As you described,  there is no path  to those setting options on this phone.   Can you provide more detailed instructions?

Thanks

0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
bamk23
Newbie

I should add, that on Samsung's S4, with Verizon on my operating system, the "cell broadcasts" options do not exist under settings, but have been moved to an Emergency Alert app.   All of the possible options to receive alerts are unchecked,  as the previous poster and myself mentioned several times.

Thanks.

0 Likes
Re: Need emergency alerts GONE!!
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

bamk23,

Thank you for the additional information. Are you using the VZW SIM card while in Tokyo or have you switched out the SIM card to a carrier in Tokyo?

LindseyT_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

0 Likes