WEA provides alerts that notify the public about critical emergencies such as wildfires and hurricanes, major highway accidents, university campus lockdowns, and child abductions. Alerts are issued by, among others, the National Weather Service, state and local authorities, and the President of the United States. The specific types of alerts include:
- National Alerts
- Imminent Threats to Life and Property Alerts
- AMBER Alerts
- Public Safety Messages
Certain WEA messages are enabled by default on all WEA-capable phones. National Alerts are enabled by default and cannot be turned off.