Your mobile phone could receive an emergency warning alert next Thursday

Residents and tourists across five of the Canary Islands could receive loud emergency alerts on their mobile phones next Thursday, 22nd October, as part of a major volcanic emergency drill taking place in Tenerife.

The Canary Islands Government has confirmed that the ES-Alert system will be tested between 9:00am and 2:00pm, with notifications potentially reaching parts of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.

Although the exercise will take place in the municipality of Guía de Isora in Tenerife, the authorities have warned that mobile network coverage could cause alerts to reach neighbouring islands.

Officials have stressed that this is only a test and there is no real volcanic emergency.

Which Canary Islands could receive the alerts?

The drill, known as VOLCANEX Tenerife 2026, will involve three emergency notifications sent to mobile phones throughout the morning.

The first message will be sent across Tenerife, announcing a simulated change to the orange volcanic alert level. However, its coverage could also extend to certain parts of Gran Canaria, as well as neighbouring islands and the sea channels between them.

A second alert will focus on a simulated preventive evacuation in the Tenerife villages of Chirche and Aripe, within Guía de Isora.

This notification will target Guía de Isora and Santiago del Teide, but could also reach parts of Adeje, Los Silos, Buenavista del Norte and El Tanque.

Due to the reach of mobile signals, some phones in La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro may also receive this message.

A third and final notification will announce the end of the exercise.

What will happen when the alert arrives?

Compatible mobile phones within the coverage area will emit a loud warning sound and vibrate, even if the owner is not expecting a notification.

The message will be clearly marked "PRUEBA" (TEST) to indicate that it is part of an emergency exercise.

Anyone receiving the alert should simply read the message and press "Accept" to dismiss it.

There is no need to evacuate, leave home or take any protective action. Residents are also asked not to call 112 about the test.

Drivers who receive an alert should stop somewhere safe before checking their phones.

Will everyone receive the warning?

Not necessarily. The Government has explained that receiving an alert will depend on a phone's location, compatibility and mobile network coverage.

This means some people in Gran Canaria or the other neighbouring islands may receive the notification while others nearby may not.

According to the authorities, phones running Android 11 or later and iPhones using iOS 15.6 or later are generally configured to receive these alerts automatically.

Notifications may appear in Spanish or English, depending on the phone's language settings.

No additional application or registration is required.

Why is the test taking place?

The exercise is designed to test how emergency services would respond to a potential volcanic crisis in Tenerife, including how quickly warnings can be delivered to the public.

ES-Alert is Spain's emergency mobile warning system, which can send notifications directly to phones in affected areas during serious incidents such as wildfires, flooding, extreme weather or volcanic activity.

The authorities are encouraging residents and visitors to be aware of Thursday's test, particularly those who may be unfamiliar with the system.

Anyone receiving an alert on 22nd October should remember that it is part of a planned exercise and does not indicate an actual emergency.