Help Center

Using Twitter Alerts

Twitter Alerts are Tweets published by select public agencies and emergency organizations during a crisis or emergency that contain up-to-date information relevant to an unfolding event, such as public safety warnings and evacuation instructions. Alerts will appear highlighted on your home timeline and are instantly sent to your device as a mobile notification.

To set up Alerts:

  1. Go to the Alerts setup page for the organization you wish to receive Alerts from (e.g., twitter.com/fema/alerts).
  2. If you're not already logged in, sign in with your Twitter account; if you don't already have an account, you will be prompted to sign up for one.
  3. If you wish to receive Alerts via text messages, enter or confirm your current phone number and activate Twitter text messaging to start receiving Alerts as text messages.
  4. If you have the official Twitter for Android or iOS app downloaded on your phone, you will start to receive Alerts as push notifications.

Managing your Alerts

Once you have an Alert set up, you can easily enable Alerts for additional organizations through their respective Alerts setup pages. Click here for a full list of accounts that send Alerts.
 

To disable Alerts for a particular organization:

  1. Go to the organization's Alerts page (e.g., twitter.com/fema/alerts)
  2. Select the option to Stop receiving alerts; alternatively, you can simply unfollow the account.

Turning off Alerts 

To turn off all Alerts as push notifications using Twitter for iOS:

  1. Go to the Me tab and tap the gear icon
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Notifications. 
  4. Select Mobile notifications.
  5. Turn off the Crisis and emergency alerts option.


To turn off all Alerts as push notifications using Twitter for Android:

  1. In the top menu, you will either see a navigation menu icon  or your profile icon. Tap whichever icon you have.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Notifications.
  4. Select Mobile notifications.
  5. Uncheck Crisis and emergency alerts.


To turn off all Alerts as SMS notifications via the web:

  1. Visit your Settings page.
  2. Click on the Mobile tab.
  3. Turn off the Tweet Alerts option.

Frequently asked questions

Who can send and receive Alerts?

Any Twitter account can receive Alerts. Sending Alerts is currently limited to select public agencies and emergency organizations internationally.

Note: While Alerts can help you be better prepared and informed, they do not replace official emergency notification systems or services. Alerts should be used as a complementary source of information.

How can my organization become an Alerts partner?

If you work for a public agency and believe you should become a partner, visit our Twitter Alerts partners portal and submit a request.

What's the difference between Twitter Alerts and regular Tweet notifications?

When you enable notifications for Tweets from an individual account you're following, you receive a mobile notification for every Tweet they send. Alerts, however, are high-priority Tweets from select public agencies and public safety organizations, sent to you as mobile notifications only during crisis situations. Aside from being delivered right your phone, Alerts are also highlighted on your Home timeline.