National Test of New Emergency Alert System on Monday 27 July
Australians will soon receive a test message from AusAlert, a new national emergency warning system designed to send urgent alerts directly to mobile phones and other compatible devices during major emergencies.
The system uses cell-broadcast technology, which allows emergency services to send alerts to all devices within a specific area at the same time. This means warnings can reach millions of people almost instantly, even when mobile networks are busy.
National Test – Monday 27 July 2026
A national test of AusAlert will take place on Monday 27 July 2026. During the test, all compatible mobile devices across Australia will receive a clearly labelled test alert.
The message will confirm the system is working properly before it is used in real emergencies. No action will be required if you receive the test message.
Test times will vary by time zone:
2:00 pm AEST – ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria
1:30 pm ACST – South Australia and Northern Territory
12:00 pm AWST – Western Australia
11:00 am CXT – Christmas Island
About AusAlert
AusAlert will allow authorised emergency services and government agencies to send warnings during events such as bushfires, floods, cyclones, public safety incidents and major health emergencies.
Messages will provide key information including what the emergency is, where it is happening, how serious it is and what actions people should take.
The system is being delivered by the National Emergency Management Agency and is expected to begin operating from October 2026.
Further information about AusAlert and the national test will be shared ahead of the July testing period and updates can be found here.