People with secret ‘safe phones’ advised to turn off devices during national test of AusAlert emergency warning

Ten-second ‘siren’ to blare on most phones on Monday as part of national test despite reservations from some states

An unsilenceable siren will blare out of most phones in Australia on Monday afternoon for ten seconds, with the federal government confirming a national test of the new AusAlert emergency alert will go ahead despite reservations from some state governments.

Domestic violence campaigners and the National Emergency Management Agency have also repeated advice that people who may have secret ‘safe phones’, kept hidden for personal safety reasons, may want to turn off their devices for up to 24 hours after the test scheduled for 2pm (AEST) on Monday.

iPhones 11 and up running iOS 26.4 or later;

Apple Watch SE2, SE3, Series 6 and up running watchOS 26.4 or later;

and Android devices running Android 12 or later.