If the phone network is down: how to stay in touch

Mobile and broadband can fail in a long power cut, a storm or a fault. Most of the time they come back within hours. This page is about what still works, what you can set up now for a few pounds or nothing, and one plan to agree with your family. It is general information, not a promise that any of it will work in every situation.

1. What already works: 999 and 112

The UK Government says that if your mobile network is unavailable, 999 calls from mobile phones automatically switch to another available network. Ofcom confirms this: emergency calls roam onto any network with a signal. Other calls and texts do not. If 999 will not connect, try 112, and try moving outdoors or to higher ground.

Emergency SMS. If you cannot speak, you can text 999, but you have to register first. Text the word register to 999 and follow the reply. Do it today, while the network works. It still needs a signal.

Satellite. Apple says iPhone 14 and later can text emergency services by satellite when there is no mobile or Wi-Fi signal, and it lists the UK (999 or 112). You need to be outside with a clear view of the sky. Some Android phones have a similar feature: check your own phone’s settings. Satellite is for emergencies only, not for everyday messages.

2. Apps that message phone to phone without a network

A few apps send short text messages straight between phones over Bluetooth, and some can relay a message through other phones running the same app. Examples are Bitchat and Bridgefy (iPhone and Android) and Briar (Android only). We have not tested them, and they have limits:

• You must install them in advance. You cannot download an app with no connection.
• Both people need the same app. A message only travels if there are enough phones with it in between.
• Range is short. Around 100 metres between two phones in the open is the figure the makers and comparison sites give, and less indoors.
• Bluetooth uses battery, and the app generally needs to be open or allowed to run in the background.

So the useful way to use them is as a family or street: agree one app, install it together, and send a test message across the house or street.

3. Radios that need no network at all

Walkie-talkies (PMR446). In the UK you can use PMR446 handheld radios without a licence. Ofcom’s rules: handheld use only, with the aerial built in, and low power (0.5 watts). They are simple and need no sign-up. Range is short: the box figure is a best case in open country, and between buildings it is much less. American FRS radios are not allowed here, so buy PMR446 ones sold for the UK or EU.

Long-range mesh radios (Meshtastic). Small LoRa radio devices pair with your phone by Bluetooth and relay short text messages from one device to the next. A hop is typically a few kilometres in open country, much less in a town, and every device in the chain needs one. They cost roughly £30 to £100 and need a little setup. In the UK they use the 868 MHz licence-exempt band, so buy the 868 MHz version. This is a hobby-level option for people who enjoy tinkering, not something to rely on without practising first.

A battery or wind-up radio lets you hear local news and updates without data. It is a standard item on UK Government kit lists. Keep spare batteries with it.

Amateur and CB radio need their own rules and, for amateur radio, a licence. We do not cover them here.

4. A one-page plan to agree this week

1. One meeting point near home and a second further away, for if you cannot get back.
2. Paper contacts. Write down the numbers of two or three people. A flat phone means a number on your screen is no use.
3. Text first. A short text uses far less network capacity than a call, so it often gets through when a call will not. Say who you are, where you are and that you are safe.
4. Pick one phone-to-phone app if you want one, install it on every family phone, and test it at home.
5. Keep phones charged. A power bank is the most useful item here. Turn on low-power mode and lower the screen brightness when the network is down.
6. Check on neighbours who may be alone, in person, once it is safe to do so.
7. Register for Emergency SMS by texting register to 999.

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