If your phone gets locked and starts emitting a loud siren noise next month, don't panic.
The UK government is planning to test a new emergency system on millions of smartphones on April 23.
Your phone will blast a loud noise and you'll get a test alert message that you need to tap and acknowledge to access your device again.
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The system is modelled on schemes in the US, Canada, Netherlands and Japan and is designed to warn people of dangerous or life-threatening situations nearby including fires, flooding, and heavy wind.
The government estimates that it will be able to get a warning message to 90% of mobile users in an at-risk area using the system.
Government minister Oliver Dowden said: "We are strengthening our national resilience with a new emergency alerts system, to deal with a wide range of threats – from flooding to wildfires.
"It will revolutionise our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger, and help us keep people safe.
"As we've seen in the US and elsewhere, the buzz of a phone can save a life."
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You will be able to opt out of the alert system using your device settings, and the messages will only ever be sent to you by the government or the emergency services like the fire brigade or police.
To deactivate the warnings on Android, open your Settings app then tap Connections > More connection settings > Wireless Emergency Alerts. Then, just open the settings page and toggle the alert types you want to receive using the switches on-screen.
Or, to opt out of the alerts on iPhone, open the Settings app, scroll to Notifications, then find the section called Government Alerts.
The scheme has so far been tested in East Suffolk and Reading and could one day be used to warn people of other incidents such as terrorist attacks or shootings.
Mark Hardringham, the National Fire Chiefs Council chair, said: "Together with every fire and rescue service in the country, I'm looking forward to having emergency alerts available to help us to do our jobs and to help communities in the event of emergencies.
"We've seen this type of system in action elsewhere across the world and we look forward to having the facility here in the UK – by working together with fire services and partners, we want this system to help us to help you be as safe as you can if a crisis does hit."
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