From October 13 to 15, 2025, if you live in certain departments of Île-de-France, expect to receive an audible alert on your smartphone. And this, even if it’s in silent mode. It is a test of the FR-Alert system, a national alert for the public, deployed as part of the HYDROS 25 exercise, simulating a major flood.
This measure aims to verify the effectiveness of mobile dissemination in case of a disaster, and to raise citizens’ awareness of emergency protocols. The alert will be delivered through multiple messages: the first two are audible, the third will specify that this is a drill and will lift the alert.
The objective? To simulate a danger scenario, to inform quickly and test reactions. This somewhat little-known system could become a vital reflex in real-life situations.
FR-Alert : how does this audible alert really work?
The FR-Alert system is a national cellular alert technology, designed to automatically reach mobile phones located in a defined area. When an imminent disaster—flood, explosion, attack, for example—threatens, authorities can trigger an alert via this channel to inform and command actions, thereby saving lives.
In the case tested this week, the alert is tied to a flood simulation (HYDROS 25 exercise). Three notifications will be sent: the first two are audible, even on a silent phone, and the last informs that the alert has ended. This alert is designed to ensure the warning is perceived correctly, without triggering panic.
What are the impacts for residents in the affected areas?
If you live in one of the tested departments, your smartphone could ring out unexpectedly between October 13 and 15. In fact, you will be alerted even if your phone is in silent mode. Above all, do not panic: this is a drill. The final message will specify that it is a test.
For residents in the affected areas, authorities recommend not touching the phone during the alert, reading the message carefully, and checking the local alert instructions. If a real alert occurs, follow the directives closely (evacuation, confinement). Finally, talk about it with people around you: an informed population is less vulnerable to risks.
This audible alert scheduled in five departments is more than just a test. It’s an invitation to become familiar with collective protection tools. The FR-Alert system, as technical as it is, rests first and foremost on citizen awareness.
Residents in the affected zones will be the first “guinea pigs” in this large-scale live exercise. But anyone with a smartphone could benefit from it someday!
