What changed
2026-07-26 20:49 UTC → 2026-07-27 02:19 UTC ·
added
removed
Australia will carry On 27 July 2026 the Australian government carried out a synchronized, nationwide test of its the new AusAlert mobile cell‑broadcast emergency warning system on 27 July 2026 at 2 p.m. AEST (earlier in some states). A ten‑second, siren‑like tone will sound sounded on compatible phones, smartwatches tablets and tablets, displaying smartwatches, overriding silent and Do‑Not‑Disturb settings, and a non‑dismissable banner that reads displayed “THIS IS A TEST … NO ACTION IS REQUIRED”. The cell‑broadcast service can reach alert, labelled “CRITICAL AUSALERT”, reached up to 29 million devices instantly, bypassing SMS, SMS and sends two alert types – priority (opt‑out) even devices without a SIM card, and critical (non‑disableable). After could operate under network congestion. The test followed community‑based trials in June and was preceded by a preview announcement on 22 July, the test was executed on 27 July, causing phones to vibrate and emit the siren; some states received the alert slightly earlier. July. Recipients were advised to switch they could ignore the alert by switching devices off or use using airplane mode, mode. The broadcast included fields for threat type, location, severity, recommended actions and officials noted that the issuing agency, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Concerns were raised about the alert overrides overriding silent settings, raising concerns mode for domestic‑violence survivors. The trial follows community‑based tests people in June domestic‑violence situations who keep “safe phones”. AusAlert was developed after the 2019‑2020 Black Summer bushfires, further motivated by the COVID‑19 pandemic and is intended to replace the 2023 Bondi attack, and replaces the older SMS‑based system. NEMA assistant coordinator Meghan Hibbert and Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said full nationwide Alert system. Full rollout is slated scheduled for 1 October 2026, with nationwide coverage planned by 2027 aimed for 2027 across natural hazards, public‑security threats, bio‑security incidents and health emergencies. The $132 million programme was developed after stems from the 2020 Royal Commission recommendations and past earlier communication failures such as the Black Summer bushfires and a 2023 Telstra outage.