Emergency calls
A quick guide to emergency calling
Learn how emergency calling works on Australian mobile networks and what you can do to help your phone connect to Triple Zero (000) when you need it.
000 – Australia’s primary emergency number for Police, Fire or Ambulance. Can be used by compatible devices (including compatible mobiles), landlines, public phones and satellite phones, and some Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
112 – A common international emergency number. Can be dialled from any compatible device in Australia – excluding landline and satellite – and will connect you to the Triple Zero emergency service.
106 – A text-based emergency relay service for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech impairment. This number can only be accessed with a teletypewriter or textphone. Mobile and landline calls will not work on this number.
Important things to know
When calling from a compatible device that has access to an available network:
You can only call 000 and 112 using your phone's dial pad or Emergency SOS calling feature (if available) – you can’t reach 000 or 112 by text message or through apps like WhatsApp or Messenger.
You can make 000 and 112 calls over the mobile network using any SIM or no SIM at all.
Make sure that your service provider has the details of your current address. This information is stored in the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) and can be provided to emergency services when you call 000 or 112.
Not all devices are capable of calling 000. Check out our compatible devices list to see if your device is supported.
When it is not an emergency:
132 500 – SES (State Emergency Service) for flood, storm and tsunami assistance (non-threatening)
131 444 – Police assistance line (non-emergency)
1800 333 000 – Crime Stoppers to report a crime
13 11 26 – Poisons Information Centre
1800 022 222 – Healthdirect (24-hour health advice)
For more information, visit your State or Territory emergency service’s website.
What happens when you call Triple Zero (000)?
When you call 000, your call will be passed through networks as quickly as possible to enable your connection with emergency services.
When you call 000 from a compatible mobile phone, it will first try to connect using your service provider’s network. If your service provider’s network is not available, it will automatically try to connect using the network from another service provider.
If your phone has difficulty connecting to a network, it can take time for the call to go through. Generally, there will be silence on the line while this happens. In this situation:
- If your initial call doesn’t connect within around five seconds, hang up and try again immediately.
- On subsequent attempts, stay on the line for up to 60 seconds to give your phone the best chance to connect via another network.
Your emergency call will be connected to the Emergency Call Person and you will hear a recorded message that your call is being connected.
The Emergency Call Person operator will then ask whether you require Police, Fire or Ambulance and may request key details of your situation, including your location.
If English isn’t your first language and you need emergency assistance, stay on the line and tell the emergency call person which language you speak. An interpreter will be organised to help you communicate in your language.
The operator stays on the line until your requested emergency service (Police, Fire or Ambulance) answers. This ensures that a two-way communication is confirmed between you and the service, and that critical information isn’t lost.
From here, your requested emergency service within your State or Territory will assess the information provided and coordinate an appropriate response.
Keep in mind, getting help to you quickly depends on each step working smoothly. A dropped signal, a slow connection or unclear location details can all slow things down.
What to do if your Triple Zero (000) call doesn’t seem to be connecting
If your call doesn’t connect straight away, there are several things to be aware of before trying again.
If your phone has difficulty connecting to a network, it can take time for the call to go through. Generally, there will be silence on the line while this happens.
- If your initial call doesn’t connect within around five seconds, hang up and try again immediately.
- On subsequent attempts, stay on the line for up to 60 seconds to give your phone the best chance to connect via another network.
If your service provider’s network is unavailable, your phone will automatically search for another provider’s network to support your emergency call. If another network is available, here’s what you'll see on your screen:
- iPhone will show ‘SOS’ or ‘SOS only’, in place of your network signal bars, depending on iOS version.
- Android will show ‘Emergency calls only’, ‘No service – emergency calls only’, or a small SOS icon, in place of your network signal bars.
If there is no mobile network available, your phone will show ‘No service’. That means you will not be able to call 000 using a mobile network.
If you are outside the coverage range of all mobile networks:
- Use a landline phone or public phone, if available
- Depending on your device, settings and Wi-Fi availability, services such as Wi-Fi Calling (if turned on, connected, and using a valid and active SIM) may provide an alternative calling path when no mobile network is available.
How to help your phone connect in an emergency
There are several steps you can take to help ensure your device is ready to place an emergency call when needed.
You must not call ‘000’ to test your phone’s capability – calling emergency services is for emergency situations only.
Not all devices are able to make emergency 000 calls on Australian mobile networks. Check out our compatible devices list to see if your device is supported.
Using a mobile phone on our network other than a compatible device with the latest software installed and VoLTE 4G calling enabled may impact your access to critical features, in particular your ability to make calls to emergency services.
We are required by law to block devices that are not configured to make emergency calls. If we need to block your device, we’ll notify you by SMS and/or email 28 to 35 days before we block it. Once your device is blocked, you won’t be able to make or receive calls, send or receive texts, or use mobile data. Check out our support page for more information on impacted devices.
To discuss your options, including information on alternative low-cost or no-cost mobile phones that can call emergency services, contact customer care on 1300 650 410 or visit a Vodafone store for support.
Update your software
It is important that you keep your device software up to date. You may be unable to call emergency services if your device software has not been updated to the most recent version available.
Check out our device help page for instructions on how to update your device software. When updating your device’s software version, it may be necessary to repeat the process multiple times to update to the latest version. If you need help updating your software, contact customer care on 1300 650 410 or visit a Vodafone store for support.
Enable VoLTE if your device supports it
It is also important that (for mobile phones) you have VoLTE 4G calling enabled in your device settings. Voice over LTE (VoLTE) allows voice calls to be made over 4G networks. Some Triple Zero supported devices require VoLTE to be manually enabled in settings.
To enable VoLTE on your device:
- Check your network operator's website for a list of devices that support VoLTE.
- Turn on VoLTE in your phone's settings if it’s available.
Turn on Wi-Fi Calling where available
Wi-Fi Calling, also known as Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi), lets you make and receive calls, SMS and MMS over a Wi-Fi network when mobile coverage is limited or unavailable.
To use Wi-Fi Calling, you’ll need:
- a Vodafone compatible device;
- running on the latest software;
- an active Vodafone postpaid mobile plan, tablet and Vodafone NumberSync® plan, prepaid mobile plan or tablet plan;
- VoLTE enabled;
- the Wi-Fi Calling feature switched on in your device settings; and
- a Wi-Fi connection
Additional information
Emergency Alert is Australia’s national telephone warning system. State and Territory emergency service organisations use it to send voice messages to landlines and text messages to mobile phones, within a defined area, about potential or actual emergencies. Find out more on the Emergency Alert site.
Important note: The SMS-based Emergency Alert system is being replaced by AusAlert which will start to be used after 1 st October 2026.
There are a range of accessible services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment. For more information, visit Access Hub.
Your safety is incredibly important to us. Access to 000 is a vital service, and we remain committed to providing reliable ways for customers to connect during an emergency.
For more information on connecting to 000, please visit: triplezero.gov.au