AT&T has rolled out a software update that will include Wireless Emergency Alerts.
The second-largest U.S. carrier confirmed the update for customers using the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S.
The Apple smartphone owners will receive government-issued safety messages such as AMBER Alerts and emergency alerts, which can range from man-made or natural disasters to messages from the President.
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According to AT&T, the Wireless Emergency Alerts notification is part of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Commercial Mobile Telephone Alerts, or CMAS. The FCC program gives carriers the option to provide emergency alerts to their subscribers, "if they choose to do so."
To enable the emergency alerts, users can go to "Settings," then "Notifications," and slide the option they want: either "off" or "on."
The software update is mandatory for AT&T subscribers but implies no financial cost. The update will be automatically sent to users with iOS version 6.1 or later.
According to Apple Insider, iPhone 4 owners have also reported that they have also received the over-the-air software update.
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