Rashi Agarwal
In the wake of the Armageddon alarm that went off earlier today, some Brits have been left questioning why they did not receive the alert that was sent out to millions of UK phones.
The emergency alarm sounded at 3 pm today (23 April) and is designed to warn the public if there is a 'danger to life' nearby.
It is a wider security system as part of the UK Government Resilience Framework pushed by Labour Party.
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For those who didn't experience it, the alarm sent a distinct loud sound and vibration to phones and lasted for around 10 seconds.
The system already exists in other countries, including the US and Canada, and this test will help pave the way for the system to be introduced in the UK.
The message received by thousands today read: "This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby.
"In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
"This is a test. You do not need to take any action."
The new UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden assured people they can simply 'swipe away' or press OK on the notification.
He said: "Keep calm and carry on - that is the British way, and it is exactly what the country will do when they receive this test alert at 3 pm today.
"Getting this system operational with the national test means we have another tool in our toolkit to keep the public safe in life-threatening emergencies. It could be the sound that saves your life."
Many Brits were left terrified after the alarm came sooner than expected at 14:59, a minute ahead of schedule.
However, some considered themselves 'unlucky' as they didn't receive the alarm on their phones and expressed their disappointment on Twitter.
One user wrote: "Huh… I didn't get the screeching phone alarm. Well if a nuke goes off least i won't know about it."
A second added: "Fact I didn’t get that alarm is a bit concerning."
It appears that many Three Customers did not hear the alarm.
"Three phones no alarm received. Quite alarming really," one person wrote.
"Wtf the alarm didn't work on either mine, my partner's phone or her mum's phone and we're all on Three," another said.
"Nope no emergency alarm on any of our phones! All 5 of are on Three and no alarm. If was a real emergency we would all be in trouble!" a third added.
A Three spokesperson said: “We are aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert. We are working closely with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn't happen when the system is in use.”