The new National AusAlert emergency alerting system is set to go live in October this year, but before it launches, the system needs to be tested across Australia.

This afternoon (Monday, 27 July 2026) a test alert will be sent to all mobile devices in Australia, which will include most phones and some smart watches and tablets.

The test will occur at the same time across the country on Monday, 27 July. In Victoria, this will be at 2.00 pm AEST. It will also be at this time in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania

In the Northern Territory and South Australia (including the Broken Hill area that is in the same time zone as South Australia), it will be at 1:30 pm ACST, and in Western Australia, it will be at 12:00 pm AWST.

At this time, a single Critical AusAlert test will be sent to every mobile device in Australia, and everyone with a compatible phone or other device in Australia can expect to receive the alert, which should cause devices to vibrate and play a siren-like warning sound for about 10 seconds. An AusAlert message will also appear on device screens, and in this case, it will clearly indicate it is a test.

Exactly how it appears will depend on your device type and operating system.
The message should appear as text (as pictured above) in a notification bubble on the phone screen that says:

Critical AusAlert. Test message - AusAlert. This is a test of AusAlert, Australia’s new emergency warning system.

NO ACTION IS REQUIRED.

In an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

Visit www.ausalert.gov.au for more information. This message is authorised by the Australian Government.
Older devices or those that use an alternate operating system, such as GrapheneOS or LineageOS may get a test alert with the heading ‘Presidential Alert’ or ‘Extreme Threat Alert’,but the content of the alert will be the same. This is because some older devices don’t follow Australian Standards and will display an American or international alert heading instead of the Australian ‘AusAlert’.

In this instance when the test alert is received, no action is necessary as it is just a test, but in an actual disaster, an AusAlert will likely tell you:
  • the type of emergency
  • where it’s located
  • how serious it is
  • what to do
  • the name of the emergency organisation that has sent the AusAlert
  • where to find more information about the emergency.
If you don’t receive a test alert, you also don’t need to do anything, as there are many reasons why a device may not receive a test alert:
  • It might be older or not support AusAlert, meaning it’s not compatible.
  • It might not be updated to a software version that allows emergency alerts to be received.
  • It might not have mobile signal at the time of the test.
  • The closest mobile tower might not be working due to maintenance or outage, or it might not have any power.
  • The device might be switched off, in aeroplane mode or not connected to any mobile tower at the time of the test.
Finding out how devices behave is one of the reasons for the test, before the AusAlert system is launched.

If you want to provide feedback on the national test, contact us.

To ensure your device is AusAlert ready, update to the latest software version on your device when asked and be sure to restart your device after updating.

It is possible that some might receive the test alert but others nearby don’t, as it is expected that devices to behave differently during the national test.

Some may get the alert at the exact test time, while others may receive it later or not at all.

There are many reasons why the national test may be received differently.

Your device might be:
  • with a different mobile service provider
  • connected to a different mobile tower
  • running a different software version
  • older or one that doesn’t support AusAlert, meaning it’s not compatible.
This doesn’t mean the test has failed or there has been a technical issue.

The intention of the test is to confirm the AusAlert system is working as intended and to understand how it performs across different devices, networks and locations.

Once up and running, AusAlerts will contain important information and are used to keep people safe and informed during disasters. As the AusAlert national test is a Critical Alert, it cannot be turn off via the device settings.

The only way to not receive a Critical Alert is to turn your mobile device off or switch it to aeroplane mode.

If receiving an AusAlert test message will be a disruption or cause someone to feel unsafe, turn off the mobile devices or switch it to aeroplane mode before the scheduled test time in your location and leave it off for at least one hour.