Post #4006528

Australia is planning to replace SMS-based emergency alerts with a new system. There will be a test on Monday 27 July at 2pm AEST. https://www.ausalert.gov.au/alerts-explained/national-test “Will my device receive an AusAlert? AusAlerts work on many mobile phones, tablets and smartwatches. Devices don’t need a working SIM card. They are expected to work on: • iPhones 11 and up running iOS 26.4 or later • Apple Watch SE2, SE3, Series 6 and up running watchOS 26.4 or later • Android devices running Android 12 or later. Older Android phones and phones that don’t use iOS or Android might still receive AusAlerts.” The iPhone 11 was released in September 2019. My mother still uses the perfectly good iPhone 6S Plus the family bought her at the end of 2015. I bought my own first smartphone, a Motorola G10, in August 2021, and it only supports Android 11. “If you have an older device or use an alternate operating system (e.g. GrapheneOS, LineageOS), you may get a test alert with the heading ‘Presidential Alert’ or ‘Extreme Threat Alert’. The content of the alert will be the same. This is because some older devices don't follow Australian Standards and will display an American or international alert heading instead of the Australian 'AusAlert'.” [A “Presidential Alert” sounds like a warning that Trump ate a bad cheeseburger and is about to start another war.] The new system has advantages, but it ought to be treated as an additional channel, not a replacement for the existing SMS-based messages.