How to Turn Off Weather Alerts on Android

Weather alerts can be useful, but when your phone buzzes at 3 a.m. for a thunderstorm warning 50 miles away, it gets old fast. This guide shows you how to disable or customize weather alerts on your Android smartphone, whether they come from the built-in emergency alert system or from a weather app you installed. You’ll be able to choose which alerts you see and which ones stay silent.

What You’ll Need

• Your Android smartphone (any brand: Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, etc.)
• Access to the Settings app (usually a gear icon)
• If the alerts come from a third-party app, you’ll need to know which app it is (like AccuWeather, Weather Channel, or your phone’s default weather app)

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Turn Off Wireless Emergency Alerts (Built-in System)

Most weather alerts like tornado warnings, flash flood warnings, and extreme heat warnings come through the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system. This is built into Android and works even if you don’t have a weather app.

1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone.
2. Tap Apps or Notifications (the exact name varies by phone).
3. Look for Wireless Emergency Alerts or Emergency Alerts. On some phones (like Samsung), you’ll find it under Notifications > Advanced settings or More settings. On Pixel phones, go to Safety & emergency > Wireless Emergency Alerts.
4. Tap on it to open the alert settings.
5. You’ll see a list of alert types: Extreme threats, Severe threats, Amber alerts, and Public safety alerts. Toggle off the ones you don’t want. For weather, you’ll likely want to turn off Severe threats (which includes most weather warnings) and Public safety alerts if they include weather-related messages.
6. If you want to completely mute all emergency alerts, toggle off the master switch at the top (if available). On some phones, you can also turn off Alarm and Alert sound to keep the notification but silence it.

Method 2: Turn Off Weather Alerts from a Weather App

If you get weather alerts from a specific app (like AccuWeather, Weather Channel, or your phone’s default weather app), you’ll need to adjust the app’s settings.

1. Open the weather app that sends the alerts.
2. Tap the menu icon (usually three horizontal lines or a gear icon) in the corner.
3. Look for Settings, Notifications, or Alerts.
4. Find the section for Weather alerts or Severe weather notifications.
5. Turn off the toggle for Severe weather alerts or Weather warnings. Some apps let you choose which types of alerts you receive (e.g., tornado, flood, heat) – you can uncheck the ones you don’t want.
6. If the app has a general notification toggle, you can also turn off all notifications from that app in your phone’s system settings: go to Settings > Apps > [App name] > Notifications and toggle off All notifications or just the alert category.

Method 3: Turn Off Alerts from Google’s Weather Service (Pixel and some others)

On some Android phones, Google’s weather service (often shown as “Google” or “Pixel Launcher”) sends weather alerts.

1. Open the Google app on your phone.
2. Tap your profile picture in the top right.
3. Go to Settings > Notifications.
4. Look for Weather or Weather alerts.
5. Toggle off Weather alerts or Severe weather.

Common Mistakes

• Turning off the wrong thing: Many people turn off all notifications from the weather app but forget that the built-in emergency alert system is separate. You need to do both if you want to stop all weather alerts.
• Disabling Extreme Threats: If you turn off “Extreme threats” (like tornado warnings), you might miss a truly life-threatening situation. Consider keeping those on and only turning off “Severe threats” (like lesser storm warnings).
• Not checking the “Alert sound” option: You might still hear a loud siren even if you turned off the notification because the alert sound is set separately. Make sure to also turn off the sound or vibration for alerts.
• Assuming your phone’s weather app is the only source: If you have multiple weather apps, each one may send its own alerts. You need to turn off alerts in each app.

Tips

• Use “Do Not Disturb” for temporary silence: If you just want to sleep without interruptions, enable Do Not Disturb and allow only alarms. This will mute most weather alerts without permanently disabling them.
• Customize alert types: Instead of turning off all weather alerts, you can keep only the most critical ones (like tornado warnings) and turn off the rest. This way you stay safe without being spammed.
• Check for app updates: Sometimes weather apps change their notification settings with updates. If you’ve turned off alerts but they still appear, check if the app has been updated and re-check the settings.
• Use the “Test alert” feature: Some phones allow you to send a test emergency alert to see what it looks like. Use this to confirm your settings are correct.

Troubleshooting

Alerts still appear after turning them off: This usually means you missed a source. Check if you have multiple weather apps or if the alerts come from your carrier. Some carriers send their own weather alerts. Contact your carrier to see if they have a separate opt-out process.

You can’t find the Wireless Emergency Alerts settings: On some phones, the option is hidden. Try searching “emergency alerts” in the Settings search bar. If that doesn’t work, go to Settings > Safety & emergency (Pixel) or Settings > Connections > More connection settings > Wireless Emergency Alerts (Samsung).

Turning off alerts doesn’t stop the sound: Even if you toggle off the alert type, the phone might still play a loud siren for “extreme” alerts because some governments require these to be unblockable. In that case, you can only mute the notification sound by turning off the “Alert sound” or by using Do Not Disturb.

Weather app alerts are still showing even after disabling them in the app: Try force-stopping the app and then reopening it. If that doesn’t work, uninstall and reinstall the app, then immediately go to its settings and turn off alerts before it sends any.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off all weather alerts completely?

Yes, for most weather alerts you can. However, some “extreme” alerts (like a presidential alert or imminent threat to life) cannot be disabled by law. You can turn off the sound for those, but the notification will still appear.

Will turning off weather alerts affect my phone’s ability to receive Amber alerts?

No, Amber alerts are separate from weather alerts. You can turn off weather alerts and keep Amber alerts on. They are listed as separate toggles in the Wireless Emergency Alerts settings.

Why do I still get weather alerts from my carrier even after I turned them off in my phone settings?

Some carriers send their own weather alerts independently of the phone’s settings. You may need to contact your carrier to opt out of their alert service, or check if there’s a separate toggle in the carrier’s app (like My Verizon or T-Mobile).

Do weather alerts use data or count against my plan?

No, Wireless Emergency Alerts are sent via a special broadcast channel and do not use your data plan. They are free and do not count toward your text or data usage.

If I turn off weather alerts, will I still see weather warnings in the weather app?

Yes, you will still see current weather conditions and any warnings displayed within the app when you open it. Turning off notifications only stops the push notifications and sounds; it doesn’t hide the information inside the app.

How do I turn off weather alerts on a Samsung Galaxy phone specifically?

On Samsung phones, go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced settings > Wireless emergency alerts. From there, you can toggle off the alert types you don’t want. For Samsung’s own weather app, open the app, tap the three-line menu, then Settings > Notifications and turn off Weather alerts.

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