Why Didn’t I Get an Emergency Presidential Alert Text?

AN ALERT FROM the US president went out to millions of cell phones Wednesday as a part of a test of FEMA’s Wireless Emergency Alert system. Some people didn’t want to get the message, but they got it anyway. Others who had expected to get the alert didn’t get it at all.

At least four staffers at WIRED with phones on major carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile didn’t receive the alerts. Many WIRED readers reported the same thing on social media. People on every major carrier, with both old and brand new phones, reported not receiving the message. One reader said that AT&T customers in their office didn’t get it while Verizon customers did.