Calling 000 when your mobile network is down: what actually works
In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) straight away. Don’t wait to check whether your network is down. This guide explains what happens during a mobile outage and how to give your call the best chance of connecting. For official information, see the Australian Government’s Triple Zero page.
Your phone can use another network for 000
When you dial 000 on a mobile, it tries your own network first. If that doesn’t work, the phone should automatically move the call to another available mobile network. This is called emergency camp-on. It’s free, you don’t need to do anything, and it even works without a SIM card.
Recent outages showed that some phones take a while to switch, and some calls failed. That’s why Australian telcos and the Triple Zero Custodian now give this advice:
- If the call doesn’t connect within about five seconds, hang up and try again straight away.
- On the second try, stay on the line for up to a full minute. That gives your phone time to find and lock onto another network.
Read your signal bars
- SOS or “SOS only”: your phone can see another network, so a 000 call should be able to get through.
- No service: your phone can’t see any network, so it can’t call 000 on the mobile network. Use a landline, Wi-Fi Calling (below), or someone else’s phone, or move to higher ground or outdoors and try again.
What about 112?
On a mobile, 112 connects to the same Triple Zero service. It isn’t a secret backup network: it still needs mobile coverage from some network, just like 000. Calling either number is fine. 112 doesn’t work from landlines.
Get your phone ready now
- Turn on Wi-Fi Calling in your phone settings. If the mobile network is down but your home internet works, a 000 call can go over Wi-Fi.
- Keep your phone’s software up to date, and restart it now and then.
- Install the free Emergency+ app. It can show your location to read out to the operator.
- If you have a landline, keep it. A corded phone is a useful backup at home.
Satellite SOS features on newer phones can help in remote areas, but they’re not a replacement for a 000 call when one is possible.
If you’re deaf, or find it hard to hear or speak
You can contact Triple Zero through the National Relay Service, and 106 connects TTY users to emergency services. 000 can’t be contacted by ordinary SMS. See other emergency numbers for the options.
During an outage, check on others
If your network is down, people around you on the same network may not be able to call for help either. Check on elderly neighbours and anyone with a medical alarm that relies on the mobile network. You can see whether other Australians are reporting problems on our internet and mobile pages.
General information only, not professional advice. Is It Down AU is independent and not affiliated with any provider mentioned.
