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Lloyd Coombes

Did you receive a confusing Public Safety Alert iPhone notification? Here's what it means

A person holds an iPhone 14 Pro in their hand.

If you received a bizarre "Public Safety Alert" in the state of Tennessee in the last 24 hours, you may be wondering what it means.

Users on Reddit reported an iPhone message saying "Public Safety Alert", but it was attached to what looked to be a potential spam link that wouldn't go anywhere.

The notification led to some concern that users had received some sort of malware, but it appears it was actually linked to a Blue Alert from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Does anybody know what this means (public safety alert)? from r/iphone

Mystery iPhone notification caused by Blue Alert

As reported by Action News 5, the presence of an active shooter led to the notification being sent following the shooting of a State Trooper. The Trooper is in a stable condition.

Still, it appears not enough information was given which led to a questionable link being sent to phones in the Tennessee area.

Users on Reddit said the notification was sent to a wide enough range to reach phones two hours away, but with little to no information given, users were forced to look up what it meant anyway.

Some posited it could be a weather warning since it uses a similar format, but if you received the notification, now you know.

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