On 1 October 2026, the Australian Government is launching AusAlert, a new national warning system that sends emergency messages to compatible mobile devices in times of disaster.
AusAlert will let the Australian Government and emergency services organisations send alerts to compatible mobile devices helping to keep Australians safer during local and national emergencies and disasters.
As part of the rollout there will be an AusAlert national test at 2pm (AEST) on Monday, 27 July 2026.
During the testing:
your mobile device might vibrate
a message may appear on your screen
you may hear a loud siren-like sound for 10 seconds.
If you receive the AusAlert test while driving:
stay clam - you do not need to do anything
don't touch your phone as mobile phone laws still apply
only check the message when your vehicle is stopped and it is safe and legal to do so.
The AusAlert test will look something like this
For more information about the AusAlert system visit the ausalert.gov.au website.