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How to turn off Amber or Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

ieubts
Visitor

How to turn off Amber or Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

My X Compact is running stock Android 8.0.  There is no setting to turn these alerts off in either mobile networks, messaging or emergency alerts app (at least that I can find).

18 REPLIES 18
pseudonym
Contributor

See the screenshot below of the Emergency Alert app. The indicated settings (upper right corner menu) will give you options with regard to the various warnings and alerts.Screenshot_20180820-162435.png

ieubts
Visitor

Thats the 1st thing i looked for.  There is no upper right menu for settings in the emergency alerts app on my version.  No 3 dots.  Nothing.

pseudonym
Contributor

I have v29.3.A.0.34 of the Emergency Alert app. Installed with Android Oreo, I assume. I also am using the standard "US Customized" firmware provided directly OTA from Sony. If you have anything different, that could be the reason.

ieubts
Visitor

Interesting.  I have the same version of Emergency Alerts app.  Also running Android 8.0.  Just got an update to build 34.4.A.2.107 yesterday.  Still no settings menu.  My ROM is stock OTA from Sony.  I don't see anything identifying it as "US Customized" though.  I am in the US and purchased the phone new (still under warranty).   Maybe I'll try a factory reset, as the phone is doing some other wierd things (display brightness bug, sounds are intermittent, etc).  We'll see if the Xperia Companion backup/restore works.  I'm not optimistic.

pseudonym
Contributor

Just to be sure: is your fingerprint sensor deactivated? I ask since you could have purchased a new X Compact in the US, but still with another region's firmware. And at least a dozen or so firmwares were updated in the past couple of days to ...107.

Otherwise, I don't know why you would have different software than I have.

ieubts
Visitor

Fingerprint sensor works fine.   Can you tell me where to check for region identifyer?

For now... I was able to uninstall the Emergency Alerts app with ADB.  I think the Amber alerts could be a great tool, but i got 3 middle-of-the-night warnings over the last week.  I'm in no position to check licensing plates while in bed.  Should be able to set some time parameters in the app..... but I know some would say that defeats the purpose.  Oh well...

ieubts
Visitor

Turns out I was shipped the Latin American region firmware version.  Go figure.

pseudonym
Contributor

Besides the fingerprint sensor (and the Alert app function), the only other difference you might notice when using non-US firmware is a difference in the text message function with AT&T (possibly others): no true group messaging, and perhaps difficulties attaching images to texts. 

If you wanted to switch to US firmware, you could use flashtool (I had to do this with my phone, also purchased within the US).

rw1255
Visitor

I have the same problem, and I found that the app can't be disabled.