Come Monday next week, almost every phone in Australia is expected to go off with a siren sound during a synchronised nationwide test of the AusAlert warning system.
The ACT Emergency Services Agency is urging Australians to prepare for the first-of-its-kind "critical alert" scheduled for 2pm on July 27.
This mass broadcast will be different from previous "priority alert" tests done in Canberra (June 10) and Queanbeyan (June 21), in that it will override a device's silent and Do Not Disturb settings.