Community testing

AusAlert will be ready to use in October 2026, but before it launches, the system will be tested in local communities.

About the tests

AusAlert will be tested in selected communities across Australia in June 2026. 

A test alert will be sent to all mobile devices in the selected testing area at the time of the test. Everyone in the test area with a compatible mobile device can expect to receive the alert.

Devices will vibrate and play a siren-like warning sound for about 10 seconds.

An AusAlert message will appear on device screens. It will clearly say it is a test.

Exactly how it appears will depend on your device type and operating system.

It will look something like this:

The alert will sound like this:

What to do if you receive a test alert

You don’t need to do anything.

It is just a test. But in an actual disaster, an AusAlert will tell you the type of emergency, where it’s located, how serious it is and what to do. It will also tell you the name of the emergency organisation that has sent the AusAlert and where to find more information about the emergency.

What to do if you don’t receive a test alert

You don't need to do anything. 

You might not be in the test area, your device might not be compatible or maybe it wasn’t connected to a mobile tower at the time of the test. 

What to do if you don't want to receive a test alert

AusAlerts contain important information and should be turned on to help keep you safe. If the AusAlert community test in your area is a Critical Alert, you can’t turn it off via your device settings.

The only way to not receive a Critical Alert is to turn your mobile device off or switch it to ‘aeroplane mode’ for the duration of the test.

If receiving an AusAlert test will disrupt you or cause you or a family member to feel unsafe, turn off your mobile devices or switch them to aeroplane mode before the scheduled test time in your location and leave them off for at least one hour.

See Turning off alert messages.