# VicEmergency — user reviews > 121 indexed App Store user reviews of VicEmergency by State of Victoria - Department of Justice, rated 3.50/5 from 4 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vicemergency/id356559665/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vicemergency/id356559665.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 2 · 4★ 0 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 1 ## Newest reviews (16 of 121) ### 3/5 — Updating information *2026-05-10, version 6.9.0* I find this app very useful and easy to use but it needs to update more often. I see a notification for a planned burn that was 23 days ago. Does this mean it’s still going to happen? ### 4/5 — Good app but has issues. *2026-05-08, version 6.9.0* The app tells me what I need to know, but has a couple of issues. I had the app in 2022 during the floods but because the app didn’t push through while the phone was in ‘focus’ mode it didn’t push through. It took me a while to find out how to correct that. During the last potential flooding period the warnings came through but they weren’t actively canceled, just removed. ### 4/5 — Add stuff mate *2026-03-31, version 6.9.0* Telling u where fires are is good but maybe add other incidents and crimes so we can see stuff ### 3/5 — Too may notifications *2026-02-16* I think this is a good and important app. However… I have the notifications set to the minimum for my watch zone so that I will get warning if there’s serious threat of bushfire. On a total fire ban day, I get no less than 13 almost identical notifications just to inform me that conditions are dangerous. This is a ridiculous level of notifications. You need to understand that more notifications DOES NOT lead to higher awareness. It leads to habitually ignoring ANY notifications because 99% of them are not important. It’s effectively the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” effect. If there is ever a really important safety message that I should receive in my watch zone, I will miss it simply because I’ve learned to ignore and delete notifications from this app. Or at best, ignore them at the time and scroll through them later to see if there was anything important. I actually think the amount of superfluous notifications in this app is dangerous. It encourages complacency. On a related note, there is no distinction in the app between a life threatening bushfire and a single bush that’s caught fire in the suburbs somewhere. We need to reserve the word bushfire for community level emergencies. That word needs to strike fear into the hearts of those who hear it. Seeing a notification that there’s a bushfire in my suburb, and then finding out that the incident was a small shrub that smoked a bit and a passing fireman put it out by throwing a bucket of water on it again encourages me to ignore warnings from the app as sensationalised. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be notified of those incidents, but don’t call them bushfires. We all know the damage, fear and chaos a real bushfire can cause. Let’s not diminish the meaning of a bushfire warning by teaching people to react with “oh it’s probably nothing. It’s never anything”. ### 3/5 — Valuable but flawed *2026-02-16, version 6.9.0* An app that is truly needed. There is a lot to like but there needs to be greater fidelity for notifications. What happens is i get too many irrelevant notifications and run the risk of ignoring them and potentially missing the ones that count. Allow me to choose whether i want to be notified for a specific categories such as tfb declared. When i see a notification popping up i want it to be a real issue not just informational. ### 4/5 — A few suggested changes… *2026-01-27* Totally appreciate the app. Here’s my wish list. It all relates to the “filter” option: 1. I want to be able to set “impact area” as “permanently on”. It’s annoying having to turn it on every time I change maps or watch zones. 2. I want to be able to view wind direction and speed AND impact zone at the same time. Same issue as 1 - can I please set options “on” and they stay on and load multiple options. 3. As well as “impact area”, it would be amazing if we could see approximately where the fire front is or where there is active burning. This one may be counter productive so feel free to disregard it. But 1&2 - please!!!! ### 2/5 — Outdated location data *2026-01-19, version 6.9.0* My address is not found when creating a watching zone. My house was built over four years so, it is unbelievable that it cannot be found in your data base considering the purpose of this app. ### 4/5 — Straightforward *2026-01-10, version 6.9.0* Pretty simple and straightforward. ### 3/5 — Address search not working *2026-01-09, version 6.9.0* Current bug with address search not working even if you just type the suburb it defaults to all of vic view on pressing enter. And when messages get updated for a warning it’d be good to get a blue dot next to the part that changed as it’s hard to work out what has updated in multi paragraph text while packing a car or fleeing a fire. ### 1/5 — I can’t get the vic emergencies app and this one won’t let you create a watch zone *2026-01-09* (Not this particular app) Ridiculous that there are not older versions of vic emergencies app (a vital app in bushfire prone areas), not everyone has new phones. And who makes an emergency services app with ‘in app purchases’ for warnings, you know, because money means more than lives, or morals, it seems. With this app? YOU’RE PUTTING LIVES AT RISK BECAUSE I CANT LOG IN ON LINE THROUGH THE WEB DESPITE OPENING ANOTHER (9th time I’ve tried TODAY) ACCOUNT. This app is terrible. All I want to do is create a watch zone, so I log in, go to set a watch zone, and it asks me to log in again, and so the cycle continues. I cannot set a watch zone. Who the hell thinks this is acceptable in CATASTROPHIC FIRE CONDITIONS?!? And prior to this I have had to turn off notifications as I was getting them for things hundreds of kilometres away, making the whole point of them redundant. There needs NEEDS to be a national app, that is free, works, and is accessible to all no matter the age of their phones/ laptops etc ### 2/5 — Could be a good app *2026-01-08, version 6.9.0* Could be good but the notification spam for weather and apples terrible notification stacking it hides important notifications, app developer needs to work with apple to make the app better for emergency monitoring. ### 2/5 — Rubbish from the government *2026-01-08, version 6.9.0* Can’t even get it going because for some reason it wants a payment method then won’t accept it. Why does the vic government want payment anyyway!! ### 1/5 — Accessibility *2026-01-08* There is a major flaw inaccessing emergency information. The VicEmergency iPhone app is not accessible with voiceover screen reader (built in apple screen reader). This means people with a vision loss cannot receive alerts, stay updated on conditions across the state, or remain up to date on the situation around them or loved ones. The website is not much better either so it is not a substitute. Consequently, available sources of information is limited for those who rely on a screen reader. The government needs to rectify this issue, the problem needs to be known, and it is essential that all available information is accessible to everyone. ### 4/5 — Fire rating overlay makes it very difficult to use *2026-01-08* I know that most overlay options can be removed via the filter options, but I can’t seem to be able to remove the transparent red catastrophic fire rating overlay and it is making it so much more difficult to see the actual warnings relevant to the Longwood fire. Once I am well aware it’s a catastrophic fire rating day, I don’t need that overlay on the entire day, impacting my ability to clearly see actual fire impact and warnings. ### 1/5 — Better than Nothing *2026-01-08, version 6.9.0* Not user friendly or intuitive ### 1/5 — Extremely annoying *2026-01-06, version 6.9.0* I had to delete the app due to the sheer volume of push notifications. This is less of an emergency app and more of a weather notifications app. Any time the weather is not 21c with less than 5km/h winds, the app goes off all day. 73 notifications today for a 30 degree day with constant annoyance about it being extreme heat. It’s summer is Australia, it’s not extreme. Let me know when there is an emergency like the app advertised to be. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Very glitchy *2026-01-24, version 6.9.0* This app doesn’t work for me I try to login keeps telling me my password is wrong and I know it’s not. I have reset my password 5 times it keeps telling me it’s wrong. It just seems very glitchy ### 1/5 — Irrelevant Notification Spam *2026-01-24, version 6.9.0* I had to delete this garbage. No matter what, this app will spam you with countless irrelevant notifications. So much so that you end up ignoring them and missing important information. Counter productive, this will acclimatise you into ignoring their warnings. Vic gov would have been better off using the money to improve their emergency services, instead they wasted it on this. ### 1/5 — Super spam‼️‼️ *2026-01-23, version 6.9.0* A literal spam machine multiple times a day with unimportant nonsense about how hot it will be 500km away from you. I would like the app if it gave useful information. Have now uninstalled it 3 times. I guess this is the final time. A great idea ruined by spam. ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2026-01-18, version 6.9.0* Won’t let you easily change locations, constantly resets to other addresses ### 1/5 — Fake *2026-01-18, version 6.9.0* Fake app with fake notifications of fires all the time yet there is no fire or smoke outside anywhere ### 1/5 — Alert overload *2026-01-15, version 6.9.0* I installed this app and set my settings to only get alerted about bushfires near me however the app pushes alerts about air quality and all sorts of other junk continuously with no way to stop it. Unfortunately I’ve had to disable the app on my phone now. ### 1/5 — Crying Wolf *2026-01-11, version 6.9.0* When I receive frequent app notifications for NOT urgent alerts like air quality and a Total Fire Ban Day eventually I learn to ignore the sound and icon or actually get so annoyed that I completely mute the app. Then, if there was ever an actually critically urgent Watch Zone notification alert like Evacuate Now, I will probably not read it in time. ### 1/5 — Asks for unnecessary personal information *2026-01-11, version 6.9.0* Asks for unnecessary information. Why does VicEmergencyneed my name and email address? I am sick of having my email address sold on. I have specified that I do not want emails, so my name and email address are none of your business. I do not live in Victoria, I am checking on information of fires near family and friends. ### 1/5 — So many notifications *2026-01-10, version 6.9.0* Having so many notification takes away from the ones that are actually important. ### 1/5 — Needs improving *2026-01-09, version 6.9.0* Coming from NSW, finding VIC Emergency App (VEA) far less useful and more confusing to use. Geographical areas are defined by their state of emergency (watch/ leave etc) and coloured; with icons indicating hazards or dangers. The coloured zones become a distracting layer above the more useful icons: which have to selected for more details individually, frustrating it if it just for a fallen tree. NSW have different coloured icons; and most usefully, show the perimeter of the fire. This allows locals to monitor how quickly it is growing; in what direction; and changes in time. The NSW app was clearer to gain information. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Keeps you safe *2026-03-09, version 6.9.0* . ### 5/5 — Really good and helpful *2026-02-27, version 6.9.0* Very helpful when you get worried about a accident ### 5/5 — Helpful very good job on working this app ppl *2026-01-09, version 6.9.0* Very good it helps me especially today. When there is catastrophic fire danger up to 43 degrees. And yeah make it not need internet to use ### 5/5 — Amazing *2026-01-08, version 6.9.0* It did what it needed to do it was easy to set a watch zone !five stars! ### 5/5 — Amazing *2025-02-02, version 6.4.0* I love this App, it’s in real time and esp for bushfires informs you how many for trucks are in attendance ### 5/5 — Five out of five star no drama *2024-12-15, version 6.4.0* Good ### 5/5 — Pls make a dark icon *2024-12-12, version 6.4.0* Hey guys can you please make a dark version of the app icon because it's really messing with the vibe of my phone layout at the moment, all the other have really cool looking dark icons and this one sticks out like a sore thumb. Thanks 👍 ### 5/5 — Does upload *2024-01-01, version 6.4.0* This App needs to be looked at it will not load on my IPhone 13. It was working fine then just stopped working, definitely a problem with the App itself ### 5/5 — Great app *2023-12-30, version 6.4.0* It’s so simple to use and very helpful. In an area that’s prone to bushfires it’s really good to know what’s going on in my area and what action I should take. Highly recommend getting this app ### 5/5 — Great app but notifications not coming through *2023-09-30, version 6.4.0* Great app to alert people about Bushfires, Vehicle accidents and more incidents. Recently I have had no notifications pop up when a call comes through and I have not known how close and got big the call is. Please let me know if there is a way to fix it --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*