A nationwide emergency warning system was officially launched by the government on Tuesday, enabling the state to send immediate alerts to mobile phones across the country.

“The ability to immediately inform and provide clear instructions to citizens can contribute decisively to the protection of human life and property,” Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said at the launch.

“The tool we now have at our disposal strengthens trust between the state and the public, strengthens the sense of security and preparedness and ensures that citizens will have immediate access to reliable information at the moment they need it most.”

The CY-Alert system, presented jointly by the interior ministry and the deputy research ministry, uses Cell Broadcast technology to deliver notifications directly to mobile devices without requiring internet access or the installation of an application.

The system will become fully operational by next Tuesday, with public test exercises scheduled over the following three weeks.

Residents may receive alerts in both Greek and English accompanied by a distinctive sound and strong vibration clearly marked as a test or exercise.

Deputy Research Minister Nicodimos Damianou said the government’s objective was to ensure “immediate and reliable information and management of any crisis” through effective use of technology.

He explained that Cell Broadcast technology transmits alerts directly from mobile phone antennas to all compatible devices located within a selected geographical area in real time, regardless of network congestion or the number of users receiving the message.

According to the government, notifications will bypass silent and mute settings on mobile devices and will be received regardless of the user’s mobile provider or the country of origin of the SIM card.

Officials stressed that the system operates “with full respect for privacy”, adding that no personal or device-related data would be collected, used or stored.

The only requirement for receiving notifications is that mobile devices are updated to the latest available Android or iOS software version.

Civil Defence will issue the alerts through licensed mobile telecommunications networks.

Messages will contain information about the nature of the emergency alongside instructions for protection or evacuation where necessary.

A dedicated 1450 call centre will begin operating from Wednesday to assist citizens with technical guidance regarding mobile phone settings needed for receiving alerts.

The introduction of CY-Alert follows previous government testing of emergency SMS systems during periods of regional instability, including tensions following the drone strike at Akrotiri earlier this year.

Those tests generated confusion among some residents after messages arrived at different times or failed to specify clearly that they were exercises.

Some users reported receiving alerts in only one language, while others received no message at all.

At the time, authorities said the warning system was intended as a preventative measure to ensure rapid public communication during potential security incidents and emergencies.