5 June 12:00 – NL-Alert has been sent: do you have it too?

Did you have it too? Sometimes a hat and scarf scares you, because it is a rather alarming, loud sound (fortunately), but the NL-Alert has a very important function. If something bad is going on, such as an emergency, you will be notified via this SMS system. It was sent again today on Monday 5 June at 12:00 pm, did you also receive it?

This is how NL-Alert works

NL-Alerts work as follows: all masts of Dutch providers send a message. In the event of a disaster, serious incident or crisis, our government will decide whether an NL-Alert should be broadcast in an area. The transmission towers in that area must then get to work. NL-Alert can not only be seen on smartphones, but also on digital billboards and the departure boards in NS station halls. Although it does bother you in terms of noise, it is, just like testing the air raid siren, a fairly important test that takes place. Also good to know: NL-Alert is free and anonymous.

In principle, you only have to do what is in the NL-Alert if it is a real one (and not a test, like today). You hear the sound, which is different from, for example, your message sound or call sound, and then it says, for example, that there is a fire and you must keep your doors and windows closed. It is advisable to take one action, namely to inform people around you. Maybe someone just turned off their phone or there is some other reason why that person is not in the know.

Again, the sound is quite intense, which is why the government also says: don’t use earplugs around 12 o’clock to prevent the unpleasant noise in your ears.

NL-Alert is automatic

NL-Alert is set by default on your mobile, so you don’t have to take any action.

Help, I am not receiving an NL-Alert test message

Are you not receiving an NL-Alert test message? This can have several reasons, such as your device was off or on airplane mode, or you had no range for a while. If you live close to the border, your phone can also be linked to a Belgian or German transmission tower. Even if your phone is connected to an old 2G or 3G network, you will not receive an NL-Alert.

Help, I receive the NL-Alert test message much later

Do you receive the NL-Alert test message, but much later? then you probably suffer from the same problems as described above with people who do not receive a test message.

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Help, I received several NL-Alert test messages

A warned person counts for two, but what about a double warned person? If you receive the NL-Alert several times, you may not have pushed the alert away. If you don’t, it will keep repeating itself a number of times, just as long as it is being read. It is also possible that you have set up a repeat function within Android, or maybe your phone can receive the NL-Alert on two channels (there are alerts for old animals and for modern phones).

NL-Alert is actually used

You will probably never have really heard the air raid alarm in your life at a non-test moment, but NL-Alert has already been deployed a number of times. NL-Alert was set up for the first time on November 8, 2012 and it has since been used many times. The first was for a fire in Tolbert on December 14, 2012. The second time was on January 20, 2013 with a fire in Meppel: that says something about how often such an alert is deployed. In 2019 it was 174 times. In 2020, for example, we saw NL-Alerts about corona, a major storm and rip currents in the sea. It has already been used in 2023, including for a fire in the Zaan region.

That’s how often you get an NL-Alert

When will it be tested? Well, every six months in June and December, always on the first Monday of the month around noon, at the same time as the air raid siren test.

Do you receive the NL-Alert notifications on your phone? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of the article.

Sources: Wikipedia,