Is there an emergency alert test on November 17? What time, what sound, and will phones get it

What is being shared

With the test two days away, people are searching for when it goes off, what it will sound like and whether their phone will get it. One headline asks whether it will show on streaming, saying only TV, radio, cable and satellite must carry it. This page answers those questions from FEMA's and the FCC's own notices.

If you've seen posts saying November 17 is the day of a "Great Blackout" predicted by The Simpsons, we checked that on November 3: no blackout is scheduled, and the alert test is not a test of the power grid.

What FEMA and the FCC actually announced

FEMA's test page says: "FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) at approximately 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time, Tuesday, November 17, 2026." It says radio and television broadcasters nationwide will interrupt normal programming to relay a test message, that the test will last approximately one minute, and that normal programming will then resume.

The FCC's public notice, released September 16, says FEMA will send the test through the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), in English and Spanish. FEMA says broadcasters may air it in English, Spanish or both, depending on station practices and audience needs. The message ends: "This is only a test. No action is required by the public."

The FCC's version of the wording also says the test is "covering the United States from 2:20 to 2:50 hours ET," so you may hear or see that time window. FEMA still describes the test itself as lasting approximately one minute. If conditions on November 17 require it, the FCC says the test will be held on December 3, 2026 instead.

Emergency alert test today time: when it goes off where you live

The test is set by Eastern Time, so it happens at the same moment everywhere. By our conversion for November 17, after the end of daylight saving time: 2:20 p.m. Eastern, 1:20 p.m. Central, 12:20 p.m. Mountain (including Arizona), 11:20 a.m. Pacific, 10:20 a.m. Alaska and 9:20 a.m. Hawaii. FEMA's word is "approximately," so it may not start on the exact minute on every station.

What it sounds like: FEMA says the test message will include standard EAS alert tones to support accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. FCC rules describe an EAS message in four parts: data bursts carrying the header codes, an audio attention signal, the message, and end-of-message codes. The rules say the attention signal "must be made up of the fundamental frequencies of 853 and 960 Hz," with the two tones sent at the same time, and allow 8 to 25 seconds of it.

What is confirmed, and what is not

Confirmed: the date, the time, the wording, the roughly one-minute length and the December 3 backup date, all in FEMA's and the FCC's notices. The FCC says all EAS Participants are required to take part in the test. FEMA's test page, which we read in its September 17 version, gave no sign of a change; we found no notice moving the test.

Phones: neither FEMA's test page nor the FCC's notice mentions phones or Wireless Emergency Alerts. They describe a test of the Emergency Alert System only. Ready.gov treats the two as separate systems: Wireless Emergency Alerts are short alerts authorities can send to phones in a locally targeted area. In 2023 it was different: FEMA and the FCC announced that the test messages would be sent to all TVs, radios and cell phones.

Streaming: the FCC's notice defines EAS Participants as those required to comply with its EAS rules, including radio and television stations, cable television systems, satellite radio and wireline video systems. It doesn't list streaming apps, and neither FEMA nor the FCC says whether an app will show the test. If you're watching through an app at 2:20 p.m. ET, you may not see it; we found nothing official either way.

Why there is a test

FEMA says it is required by law to conduct a nationwide test of the public alert and warning system at least once every three years. It describes the Emergency Alert System as a national warning system made up of thousands of radio, television, cable, satellite and wireline broadband providers, and says the tests let it find technical or operational problems before the system is needed in a real emergency.

The FCC requires participants to report how the test went in its test reporting system, with day-of-test data due by 2:20 p.m. ET on November 19.

What it means for your home

Nothing to do on the day: the message itself says no action is required by the public. If you notice a problem, such as a station that doesn't carry the test or a garbled message, the FCC invites the public to report what they observed to its Public Safety Support Center.

The test is a good moment to check how real alerts would reach you. Our emergency alerts guide explains Wireless Emergency Alerts, which Ready.gov says look like text messages but come with a unique sound and vibration repeated twice, and how to check they are on in your phone's settings. For a power cut, when TV and internet may be down, Ready.gov's kit list includes a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert; our weather radio guide covers how they work.

• Note the time in your zone: 2:20 p.m. Eastern is 11:20 a.m. Pacific
• Expect about one minute of tones and a spoken test message on radio and TV
• Check that emergency alerts are on in your phone's settings
• If you own a battery or hand-crank radio, check it works

What not to do

Don't buy anything for this date. The test checks that broadcasters and providers can pass along a warning; it doesn't change any official advice for households.

Don't turn off emergency alerts on your phone because of the test. FEMA's and the FCC's notices don't describe a phone alert, and Ready.gov says Wireless Emergency Alerts are short emergency alerts authorities send to a locally targeted area.