The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission announced that during the February 18 regional drill in Mexico City and the State of Mexico, Apple devices will display the “Presidential Alert” message. Changes to update this label and reduce the alert volume will be implemented by April. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced these adjustments in response to citizen comments on the sound's intensity.
The regional drill scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, at 11:00 a.m. in Mexico City and the State of Mexico will trigger the seismic alert on mobile devices, including iPhones, which will still display the “Presidential Alert” label. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) stated that the modification of this message on Apple devices will be ready by April, after the public consultation ended on Monday, February 16.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, during her February 16 conference, announced changes to lower the volume of the cellphone alert, responding to citizen reports and social media criticism. “The volume will go down,” the president stated, adding that a more direct message is sought. Laura Velázquez Alzúa, head of the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC), emphasized that the system has operated normally and successfully in public speakers and cellphone alerts.
These adjustments will not apply to the February 18 drill, which will involve 13,900 speakers in the Valley of Mexico. The CRT launched a call for citizens to propose the new message, available on its website via registration and PDF submission. The volume is preset by manufacturers according to international standards. Upcoming drills are set for May 6 and September 19, the latter for the first time on a Saturday.
Authorities are developing a national alerting strategy for high-risk areas facing natural phenomena. Notifications cannot be turned off, even in silent mode, and are classified as maximum, extreme, or severe alerts.
