CY-Alert emergency alert system officially launched in Cyprus: schedule of test notifications

On Tuesday, June 2, Cyprus officially put the national early warning system CY-Alert into operation. The new system allows Civil Defense and the relevant authorities to instantly send messages about emergencies, forest fires, or natural disasters to the mobile phones of citizens located in a potential danger zone. Cyprus has become the 16th EU country to implement this safety standard.

The CY-Alert system is based on Cell Broadcast technology rather than standard SMS. This makes it possible to transmit signals directly from base stations to all mobile devices in a selected geographic area, completely eliminating delays caused by network congestion. Alerts will be delivered to devices of any mobile operator, including foreign SIM cards, and no internet connection is required to receive them. Messages are broadcast in Greek and English and are accompanied by a loud distinctive signal and strong vibration, which are activated even if the phone is set to silent mode. On iPhone and Android smartphones, the latest software update must be installed for the system to work correctly.

To test the system in real conditions, the authorities have approved a schedule of test notifications that will be sent between June 2 and June 15, 2026. These messages will be clearly marked «TEST TEST TEST» or «EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE» and require no action from residents. According to the official plan, on Tuesday, June 2, from 11:00 to 12:00, testing will take place in the communities of Pissouri and Moniatis, and from 16:00 to 17:00 in the community of Psevdas. On Sunday, June 7, from 10:00 to 11:00, residents of the communities of Argaka, Avgoru and Ora will receive the signals. On Wednesday, June 10, from 16:00 to 17:00, the check will affect Phini and Kalopanayiotis, and the cycle will end on Monday, June 15, from 15:00 to 16:00, with a nationwide test simulating a missing person alert.

Notifications may also be sent to mobile devices of residents in settlements bordering the specified areas. For technical assistance and to check phone settings, citizens can contact the government helpline at 1450. A detailed explanation of how the system works, smartphone setup rules, and timely updates are available on our website. For our Telegram channel subscribers: there is no need to be alarmed by the loud signal on phones on the specified days, as this is a planned safety test that will now operate on the island on a permanent basis.