- Published:
- Thursday 23 July 2026 at 1:30 pm
- Published by:
- Department of Education
AusAlert is Australia's new national emergency warning system designed for people with diverse communication needs. A major national test of AusAlert will occur on Monday 27 July 2026, between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm AEST.
AusAlert was developed with disability advocates to support accessible communication during emergencies such as bushfires, floods and severe storms.
Features include:
- Visual and tactile alerts: messages pop up on the screen and devices vibrate for about 10 seconds.
- Sirenalert: devices play a 10-second siren-like warning sound that overrides ‘silent’ or ‘do not disturb’ settings.
- Assistive technology integration: AusAlert can be used alongside hearing aids, cochlear implants, bed shakers and refreshable braille displays.
On Monday 27 July 2026, a national test alert will be sent to all compatible mobile phones smart watches and tablets across Australia.
Devices will vibrate, play a 10-second siren and display a message clearly identifying that the alert is a test. No action is required, but users will need to tap ‘OK’ on their screens to clear the notification.
AusAlert will become operational in October 2026.
For more information, go to AusAlert
To watch an animation with a picture-in-picture Auslan interpreter explaining what AusAlert is and what to expect during testing on 27 July, go to AusAlert testing: explainer animation with Auslan
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