How to disable "Wireless emergenecy alerts"

Andrea

One month ago I posted a few messages on an old thread with this title. The reason was that I was looking for an authoritative answer to the following question: Can the notifications from the WEA be completely disabled? Can someone with actual knowledge of the source code confirm that this is the case? The reason for my question was that on my system a label appeared stating that those notifications would appear notwithstanding the settings I chose.

This topic has been raised several times on these forums. For some reason, the notifications of this specific app seem to be a very sensitive topic. Instead of answering the questions above, the usual reply is: "Why do you care?", "Code it yourself". The thread I contributed to was no different. In complete good faith I waited more than one month without replying, just to de-escalate this (incomprehensible) ostility toward this question. I was accused of "attacking the project". Today I log in again and imagine my surprise when I see that the thread locked, and statments that "lines have been crossed".

The thread concludes with a statement that all notifications from the WEA app are supposed to be disabled, that is, the app will not command any graphics on my screen subject to external inputs from the carrier network. My simple question is: Can someone with knowledge of the source code confirm this? Thank you.

Johnnyloans

Perhaps a dev will reply to confirm.

Andrea Can the notifications from the WEA be completely disabled?

Andrea Can someone with knowledge of the source code confirm this? Thank you.

This is from the grapheneos devs:

Wireless alerts are completely optional since GrapheneOS adds a toggle for the otherwise mandatory presidential alert type. This is particularly useful in Canada where the government abuses the system and sends every type of alert as a presidential alert to stop users from being able to opt out of weather and amber alerts.

https://grapheneos.org/features#other-features

if your experience is different--you are getting alerts--I'd recommend opening an issue about it.

https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os-issue-tracker

Johnnyloans

Or open an issue if any wording is incorrect on your phone that contradicts the statement of blocking all alerts.

Onlyfun

Use app manager via adb for this.

userofgos

Andrea My simple question is: Can someone with knowledge of the source code confirm this? Thank you.

Hello again :)

I'm not certain you'll be satisfied with any answer provided seen as the previous thread(s) weren't enough and as Johnnyloans already quoted the official documentation on the website (which was written by the devs). I don't see how anyone else could answer any differently.

If you don't trust the GrapheneOS devs, who have extensive knowledge of their own codebase, I'm not sure how you could trust an answer from any other dev that leaves a comment here.

Andrea

userofgos Hello, thank you for your message. I do trust GrapheneOS developers, that is why I keep asking this specific question – in the hope of receiving an answer. Notice that the documentation says a different thing: that “presidential alerts” are blocked. I do not know all the alert levels recognized by the app or propagated by the network. I just ask: when I toggle it off, will the app be stopped from producing any graphics (alert, button, banner, whatever) on my screen, as a response to carrier network inputs.

Novaliss

Andrea will the app be stopped from producing any graphics (alert, button, banner, whatever) on my screen, as a response to carrier network inputs

If such an alert, button, banner, were to appear in your device, how severe a transgression would this be? This seems like such a huge thing for you.

userofgos

Andrea Notice that the documentation says a different thing: that “presidential alerts” are blocked. I do not know all the alert levels recognized by the app or propagated by the network.

You are misunderstanding what is written, and this was discussed in the previous thread to great length. Canada has been notorious for pushing all WEA through the the Presidential alerts system. Since the project is based in Canada, the devs have emphasised this in the documentation. If you were to read the sentence before that it states "Wireless alerts are completely optional"

Also see this comment here for more details: #2522332

Andrea I do not know all the alert levels recognized by the app or propagated by the network.

This makes no sense, have you not installed GrapheneOS yet? Because of you did you wouldn't need to ask this question. Simply go to Settings > Safety and Emergency > Wireless emergency alerts and you'll see ALL the alert levels

Andrea when I toggle it off, will the app be stopped from producing any graphics (alert, button, banner, whatever) on my screen, as a response to carrier network inputs.

Did you read the last comment of the previous thread? #2522360

The WEA app isn't the issue people are making it out to be. We have multiple threads about this topic where questions were answered.

The issue where some devices with specific setups have a misleading header has been reported to the developers.

All wireless alerts can be disabled. Disable them and the app won't bother you.

Spasiba

Although I cannot speak authoratively on the source code, I can confirm that setting the toggle for WEA to off blocks any WEA completely, not only the presidential alerts. I have the WEA toggle to off permanently. Several times other people around me received a (non-presidential and presidential) WEA, my phone received nothing. No sounds, no icons. You can't even find the alert in the list of received WEAs. (This list is in the same settings panel where you toggle the WEA). Hope this helps.

Novaliss

[unknown] could you provide some screenshots from the actual settings page on your device?

Andrea

Why are my two latest messages to @userofgos hidden in the thread now? Why has one message from @userofgos disappeared? All messages from either side were absolutely polite and unproblematic.

other8026

I looked into this when this discussion was going on last. Screenshots were shared and I found out why some people saw the message being discussed here while others didn't.

Based on comments in in the resource files, I think different governments may have requirements for specific messages to be displayed. In this case, the message that Andrea is asking about only shows up for people in a specific country (I forget if it's based on the SIM card or which country the device detects it's in). The message is simply saying that the most extreme kinds of alerts cannot be disabled, which is true on AOSP, not GrapheneOS.

Not all users will see a message where Andrea is seeing the one that's being asked about. I don't see one. There are different messages for different countries that do have a message there. For example, I recall Japan's says something about natural disasters and doesn't say anything about users not being able to disable the most extreme alerts.

I have shared my findings with the developers, so they're aware of the inaccurate message there and why it only shows up for some users. But keep in mind what I said about messages displayed in that spot don't all say the same thing and that the comments indicate AOSP is required to display certain messages. I'm not sure how the developers will want to address the inaccurate message there. Displaying no messages there may not be the best idea.

other8026

Andrea I removed them because they could be considered rude. And I removed replies so that other passerby won't be confused about discussion flow that might not make sense.

other8026

Andrea Today I log in again and imagine my surprise when I see that the thread locked, and statments that "lines have been crossed".

That thread was locked because more people continued the discussion about a week after and there was bad advice being given. I hid those posts and locked the thread. I didn't lock the thread because of your questions.

wizoatk

userofgos Simply go to Settings > Safety and Emergency > Wireless emergency alerts and you'll see ALL the alert levels

There are lots more alert categories which may not fit neatly into Presidential / Extreme / Severe levels.
From CellBroadcastSettings.java:

KEY_ENABLE_CMAS_EXTREME_THREAT_ALERTS
KEY_ENABLE_CMAS_SEVERE_THREAT_ALERTS
KEY_ENABLE_CMAS_AMBER_ALERTS
KEY_ENABLE_PUBLIC_SAFETY_MESSAGES
KEY_ENABLE_EMERGENCY_ALERTS
KEY_ENABLE_AREA_UPDATE_INFO_ALERTS
KEY_ENABLE_TEST_ALERTS
KEY_ENABLE_STATE_LOCAL_TEST_ALERTS
KEY_ENABLE_CMAS_PRESIDENTIAL_ALERTS
KEY_ENABLE_EXERCISE_ALERTS
KEY_OPERATOR_DEFINED_ALERTS

Andrea

other8026 Thank you for your explanation. So the bottom line is: WEA shall never show anything when toggled off, UI might be inconsistent partly because of regulations. If that's it, it finally settles it for me. Blocking WEA was the reason why I purchased a Pixel and got interested in GrapheneOS, so it is good to read that it was worth it.

userofgos

Andrea hopefully I didn't come off too strong. other8026 I appreciate you and what you do, wasn't trying to be rude, just confused why my responses, and the responses of others I quoted and official documentation weren't being understood (or so it seemed)

Andrea So the bottom line is: WEA shall never show anything when toggled off, UI might be inconsistent partly because of regulations. If that's it, it finally settles it for me.

This is what I was trying to infer and explain to you by quoting other's responses, and by referring to the previous thread where this was also brought up (I also was unaware of the regional differences as you can see here)

Onlyfun

Spasiba cannot speak authoratively on the source code, I can confirm that setting the toggle for WEA to off blocks any WEA completely, not only the presidential alerts. I have the WEA toggle to off permanently. Several times other people around me received a (non-presidential and presidential) WEA, my phone received nothing.

Same here.

Sidewaze

Hello fellow Graphene os users. I can confirm that removing Wireless Safety and Emergency app via ADB in ANY android os including Graphene does NOT STOP a Presidential Emergency Alert in Australia as demonstrated today during a Test. I had 3 different phones running 3 different Android OS including Graphene OS, /e/os and stock HyperOS. All received and sounded the alert at the precise time the test was broadcast. Ausalert reported the only way to not receive it is have your phone turned off or airplane mode previous and for up to 24 hours afterwards. It is broadcast at a cellular level and any phone connected to a phone tower will receive it.