Disable AusAlert on Android Phones

Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2026
With the looming WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) test by the Australian Government's AusAlert service on 27 July 2026, many people now feel anxious about receiving this alert.

Because AusAlert utilises existing Cell Broadcast (CB) technology which is already in worldwide use, it is simple to disable on Android phones as it relies upon the pre-installed WEA software package which ships on all Android phones running Android 12 or later.

For years, many US citizens have chosen to disable WEA on their phones to avoid being disrupted or disturbed by test alerts. It may be that they already listen to free-to-air radio regularly and do not need another means of being alerted to an emergency. Many test alerts sent by Governments are set to the highest level, so even if the user turns off all lower level alerts, the test alerts are still displayed. For this reason, Android users in the US have resorted to completely disabling the WEA application.

In Australia, residents can already use state-run emergency alert apps, such as Victoria's VicEmergency if they choose to do so. These long established state-run apps already perform the function of AusAlert, making its introduction somewhat unecessary.

Removing the WEA app using ADB

Using one of the following ADB commands, you can disable Wireless Emergency Alerts (and hence AusAlert) indefinitely.

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.cellbroadcastreceiver
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.cellbroadcastreceiver

A good set of instructions can be found on the RightMinds NZ site, so I won't repeat them here: https://www.rightminds.nz/2023/05/how-to-remove-android-wireless-emergency-alerts

Basically, you enable USB debugging on your Android phone and connect it to your computer to run 'package management' commands to uninstall the WEA app.

Update 19 Jul 2026

It has been reported that state level governments won't use the AusAlert system due to concerns with multiple issues, including the fact that alerts will not go to landlines and older mobile devices won't have the 'Wireless Emergency Alert' application installed. Also, unlike SMS messages, alerts sent using the CB system disappear after they are dismissed, so users won't be able to re-read messages unless they are smart enough to take a screen shot.

Due to these shortcomings, many state level emergency service agencies (Police, Fire, Ambulance, SES) are not planning to use AusAlert in its current form.

The lack of support for the AusAlert system at the state level risks making it a $132m dud.