Volcano drill in Tenerife: this is how the new mobile alert test will work
The Canary Islands Government will carry out a new test of the national emergency alert system (ES-Alert) this Friday, 26th September, as part of Spain’s first-ever volcanic eruption drill in Garachico, Tenerife.
The exercise is being coordinated by the Department of Territorial Policy and Water, through the Directorate General of Emergencies, together with the Tenerife Cabildo.
Between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm, the 112 Emergency Coordination Centre (CECOES) will send three trial messages directly to mobile phones in the area. The alerts may be received instantly or once a device enters network coverage. Phones that are switched off or in flight mode will not receive them.
Authorities stress that drivers should not be alarmed if they receive the message while on the road, but should stop in a safe place before reading it and pressing “accept”. Once accepted, the message disappears from the screen. Families are also advised to explain the test to elderly relatives in advance to avoid unnecessary worry. Messages will appear in English for those with their phones set to a non-Spanish language.
Most modern mobile phones are compatible with the system, provided alert reception is activated. On Android 11 or higher and iOS 15.6 or higher, this feature is enabled by default. When the test runs, all 4G and 5G devices in the coverage area will receive a message marked “TEST”, accompanied by a loud beep and vibration. No response or call to 112 is required.
ES-Alert is already fully operational in the Canary Islands and has been used in recent emergencies, including the major wildfires in La Palma and Tenerife.
The system allows civil protection authorities to send urgent instructions to people in a specific area during natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, volcanic eruptions, or extreme weather events. It does not require any app or registration, and complements traditional channels such as evacuation notices, media reports, social media, and loudspeaker systems.
By running these periodic tests, the government aims to familiarise residents and visitors with the system so that, in the event of a real emergency, people know how to react calmly and follow instructions.
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