Public Alerts Partner FAQs

  1. What's happening with the Google Public Alerts website?

    Google is migrating and upgrading Public Alerts (PA) to the more accessible, modern Google Search and Google Maps experience. As an important step to improve the user experience, the Google.org Public Alerts website will be unavailable after March 31, 2021.

    To view details of alerts and their associated rich visualization, Google Public Alerts partners and users can now directly search on Google Search and Google Maps. For example, when you search for information on active wildfires, tropical storms, floods, and earthquakes, you can find relevant and authoritative content in our SOS Alerts and Public Alerts. These alerts include emergency phone numbers and websites, maps, translations of useful phrases, and donation opportunities.

    For a complete overview of Google's crisis-related products and features, go to the Google Crisis Response website.

  2. How does Google work with government agencies like the US National Weather Service?

    Google partners with authorized alert originators and distributors listed here.

    For additional information about preparing Public Alerts data, please visit our Partner Help Center.

  3. What is the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)?

    CAP is an international standard for publishing and sharing alerts. We advocate using an open and common standard, in order for everyone to have a consistent way to automatically receive and share alerting information, as well as publishing alerts securely using open web formats like Atom and RSS.
  4. I'm from a public agency and I'd love to see our alerts on Google Public Alerts. How do I make that happen?

    We welcome partnerships with agencies, domestic and international, who publish authoritative alerts. In order to get a head start, you can follow the steps below:

    After performing the steps above please fill out this contact form. If Google is interested in integrating your data into public alerts, we will respond to your initial inquiry submitted through this form and schedule a call to talk with your organization. The purpose of the call is to allow us to better understand what content you are interested in bringing to Public Alerts.

    If we want to move forward with your organization and your data, we will proceed to a data evaluation stage.  During this stage, we may request that you provide us with sample data, technical support from your team, and further information about your systems and process. In parallel, we will work with you on an agreement to disseminate your data.

    Once we evaluate your data, and if we determine that your data is a match for Public Alerts, we will continue to work with your team to integrate your data into Public Alerts.

Public Alerts Mobile FAQs

  1. How is Google Public Alerts integrated with Google Now on Android?

    Public alert information fits well with Google Now’s goals of showing you the information that matters where you are.

    A Public Alerts card will show when there is an important emergency alert in your area, as published by authoritative sources such as the National Weather Service, and the US Geological Survey (USGS). The alert will automatically show as the first card in Android’s Google Now service when swiping up on your Android device. The title and publisher of the alert will be displayed on the card as well as a brief snippet of text about the alert. If you would like to learn more about the alert, including alert location, click on the “More Info” link and you will be taken to the alert details page.

    You will only see alerts if they have been published for your location by authoritative sources. Google will only show the most severe alerts in Google Now, similar to the level that triggers most national emergency alert systems. If there are no alerts for your area, no Public Alerts cards will be displayed. Public Alerts will also show up in your notification shade when updates are available -- just swipe down from the top of your screen to open or dismiss these notifications.

  2. How do I turn off a Public Alerts card in Google Now?

    If you would like to dismiss a Public Alerts card, just swipe it away. To turn off Public Alerts, you can go into Settings > Now Cards > Public Alerts and slide the blue slider to “Off”. You will no longer receive Public Alerts notifications in your notification shade, and Public Alerts cards won’t appear when you open Google Now.

  3. What kinds of alerts show on Google Now on Android?

    Google Now strives to show the most severe and relevant emergency alerts from the same providers we use for Public Alerts in other Google products. We will only attempt to display an alert if it is published in the language of your device.
  4. Why does an alert sometimes appear to come back after I dismiss it?

    When an alert publisher sends an update to an existing alert Google Now will show a Public Alerts card with the new content even if you dismissed the earlier alert.
  5. Can I see Public Alerts on Google Maps with my mobile browser?

    Yes. If you go to your mobile browser and head to Google Maps at maps.google.com, we will show you relevant weather, public safety and earthquake alerts when they are triggered by your search. The alerts will show up at the top of the screen when viewing the business listings for your search. If you want to learn more you can click “more details” and it will take you to an alert details page similar to the experience on Google Maps on your desktop.
  6. How is Google Public Alerts integrated with Google Maps for Mobile?

    When searching on Google Maps for Mobile on your Android device, if the corresponding location of your search triggers a relevant alert, the alert will be displayed at the top of search results in an orange banner. If you would like to dismiss the alert you can click on it and select hide alert. If you want to view more details, click on it and select view more details. This will lead you to an alert details page where you can learn more about the alert. Please note that at this time no public alerts will ever appear when using the directions feature.

    While we can’t guarantee that you’ll see every alert when searching on Google Maps for Mobile, we’re doing our best to show what’s important when you need it, and hope that Google Public Alerts is a useful additional source of information.

  7. Why am I receiving alerts via text messages? How do I turn them off?

    Sometimes you may receive a text alert containing warnings and public safety information on your mobile phone. This is likely sent by Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), an alerting platform used by emergency management officials to disseminate public safety information via geographically targeted text to mobile phones. While Google Public Alerts shows similar warnings and public alerts as CMAS, it is an independent platform developed by Google. Google Public Alerts sends emergency messages to mobile phones via Google Now and also surfaces alerts on various Google properties such as Google Search and Google Maps.

    The method for turning off emergency alerts depends on your wireless service provider, but here are some common things to try:

    • iPhones: Settings -> Notifications -> Government Alerts
    • Android devices:
      Option 1: Settings -> Wireless & networks -> More -> Emergency Alerts OR
      Option 2: Messaging -> Settings -> Emergency message settings
    • Windows phones: Messaging -> ... -> Settings -> Emergency Alerts
    • Blackberry phones: Messages -> Options

    If the above methods don't work, please contact your wireless service provider for instructions.

List of Our Partners

  1. Who provides content to Public Alerts?

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Google apps
Main menu
17698291851282936853
true
Search Help Center
true
true
true
false