Topics Map > Safety and Security
Illini-Alert, FAQ
Rave Mobile Safety is the vendor that provides the Illini-Alert service.
I have graduated, but I am still getting Illini-Alert messages. How do I unsubscribe?
After you graduate, your @illinois.edu email address remains active for several months. If you have forwarded your illinois.edu email address to an external email address (e.g. user@gmail.com) or your illinois.edu email address is associated with an Illinois Google Apps account then you will continue to receive Illini-Alert email messages until your NETID and @illinois.edu email address is deactivated.
To unsubscribe from the text messaging portion of Illini-Alert, please send a text message to 67283 with the word STOP.
How can I unsubscribe from Twitter 40404 Fast-Follow?
A: If you have previously subscribed to Fast Follow (external link) and no longer interested in receiving those text messages, send "Unfollow IlliniAlert" to 40404.
All current University of Illinois students, faculty, staff, and members of affiliated organizations will receive Illini-Alert messages to their NetID@illinois.edu email addresses.
If you are a member of one of these groups, you are encouraged to add your cell phone number and an alternate email address. You may subscribe up to three cell phone numbers and up to three email addresses to receive Illini-Alert messages.
If you are not a member of one of these groups, you can still
receive Illini-Alert messages by text and/or email by following
@illinialert on Twitter (external link).
How can I receive Illini-Alert messages if I don't have an @illinois.edu email address?
A: Anyone can sign up to receive campus emergency notifications via text message by texting “IlliniAlert” to 226787.
A: You can choose not to receive text messages or email to your personal email accounts. However as a matter of public safety, Illini-Alert messages will always be sent to your NetID@illinois.edu email address.
What should I do in the event of a campus emergency?
A: Be prepared to react calmly to the emergency and follow the instructions provided in the message from Illini-Alert. Prepare yourself for an actual emergency by reading the Safety Resources (external link) prepared by the Division of Public Safety.
Why are Illini-Alert email messages from a non-@illinois.edu email address?
A: The Illini-Alert service is a remotely hosted service provided by Rave Mobile Safety. In an effort to prevent these email messages from being marked as spam the sending email address is illinois@getrave.com. Please consider adding this address to your white-list of approved senders.
How many messages will I receive from the Illini-Alert service?
A: There will be at least one test message sent each semester to ensure that the Illini-Alert service is functioning correctly. Additional messages will be sent if the Division of Public Safety determines there is a current or imminent threat to life and/or safety on campus.
If I didn’t enter my phone number during registration, can I go back and enter it at a later time?
A: Yes. To enter your mobile phone, visit http://emergency.illinois.edu and under the My Account tab, select 'Add' button next to Mobile Phones.
How do I change my mobile number?
A: Visit the My Account tab at http://emergency.illinois.edu, and click the Edit link next to the mobile number you would like to change. Enter the new mobile number you want to use in the fields provided, and click Continue. You will then be asked to confirm your mobile phone carrier.
When changing Mobile Contact (1) [your primary mobile number], you will receive a text message containing a 4-digit confirmation code. You must enter this confirmation code within this website to complete the primary mobile phone registration process.
I did not receive the confirmation code text message. What do I do?
A: Once you enter your mobile phone number on the on the My Account tab, Illini-Alert will attempt to send you a text message containing a 4-digit confirmation code. This code is used to verify your wireless number and carrier. Confirmation codes are only sent to your primary mobile number [Mobile Contact (1)].
If you do not receive the confirmation code within a couple of minutes, visit the My Account tab and click the Click here to resend now link. If you still fail to receive the confirmation text message, click the Edit link associated with Mobile Contact (1), and confirm your mobile number and carrier are correct, making any changes necessary.
If you do not receive a confirmation text message after following the steps above, your mobile carrier may be enforcing a premium text messaging block on your account. To remedy this, contact your carrier and ask to have text messages from shortcodes 67283 and 226787 delivered to your mobile device.
If I haven't verified my mobile phone number. Will I still receive Illini-Alert text messages?
A: Most likely you will still receive text messages. However, verifying your number is preferred because it provides an extra level of confirmation that your mobile device can successfully receive text messages from the Illini-Alert system.
If you already have my Registration email address, why do you need a Preferred email address?
A: Specifying a Preferred email address allows for the delivery of Illini-Alert email messages to addresses other than your university email address. If you frequently use an email account other than the one specified within the Registration email field, we recommend you add these addresses as Preferred email addresses.
Preferred email addresses may be added at any time within the My Account tab under Email Contacts.
How do I change my Preferred email address?
A: Visit the My Account tab. Within the Email Contacts section, click the Edit link. Follow the instructions for entering your new Preferred email address.
How do I opt-out of receiving text messages on my phone?
A: There are three ways to stop receiving messages on your phone:
- Click on the Groups tab at http://emergency.illinois.edu and use the Text / Email checkbox options to specify your message delivery preferences.
- Text STOP to 67283 or 226787 from your registered mobile phone. You will no longer receive ANY messages from Illini-Alert. Use the STOP command with caution, as this will also block delivery of Broadcast Alert messages.
- If you are subscribed via Twitter Fast-Follow, send "Unfollow IlliniAlert" to 40404.
Can I send myself a test message?
A: Yes, this is encouraged. After logging in to http://emergency.illinois.edu you can click the Test button next to any of your methods of contact.
A: Only 10-digit, US and Canadian phone numbers can be added to Illini-Alert.
Google Voice is able to receive Illini-Alert messages via most U.S. mobile carriers. It recommended that you utilize the Test button within the http://emergency.illinois.edu (external link) portal to confirm functionality.
If your pager is able to receive email messages, then it can receive Illini-Alert messages. If your pager is only able to receive messages sent directly to its 10-digit number, then verify that your vendor is one of the supported mobile carriers.
Which mobile carriers are supported?
A: All U.S. mobile carriers are supported.
Why can't I use my Cricket number to register for Illini-Alert?
A: Cricket is partners with Leap Wireless. Cricket and Leap use telephone numbers provided by a number of other carriers. Sometimes the automated carrier look-up system identifies your carrier as the one that supplied the number originally. If this happens, you can change your carrier within Illini-Alert by choosing Cricket/Leap from the choices in the drop-down menu during phone registration.
Often, Cricket and Leap subscribers have what is called a "premium messaging block" placed on their accounts. Cricket does this so that you do not get charged accidentally with unexpected per-message fees from certain providers. As a reminder, Illini-Alert does not charge any per-message fees. Premium messaging blocks will not prevent you from receiving text messages from other phone numbers, only from companies. If you have already registered your Cricket number with Illini-Alert but are still waiting for a confirmation code, you should call Cricket/Leap and ask that the SMS shortcodes 62783 and 226787 not be blocked. Those are the codes Illini-Alert uses to send emergency text messages.
Why can't I use my Net10 number to register for Illini-Alert?
Net10 is a subsidiary of NEXTECH Communications. NEXTECH uses telephone numbers provided by a number of other carriers. Sometimes the automated carrier look-up system identifies your carrier as the one that supplied the number originally. If this happens, you can change your carrier within Illini-Alert by choosing NEXTECH/Net10 from the choices in the drop-down menu during phone registration.
A: Your password is the same as your University NetID password. If you need to change it, please go to the Password Manager website: http://go.illinois.edu/password.
A: Groups are not currently supported in Illini-Alert.
What are Voice Only Line Contacts used for?
A: Broadcast Alerts can include a recorded voice message sent to your Voice Only Line Contacts. When you specify a voice only line, you are requesting to receive any voice message included as part of a Broadcast Alert.
How do I elect to receive Broadcast Alerts via voice message rather than text message?
A: Whether a particular Broadcast Alert includes a voice, text message, or email component is determined by the sender of the Broadcast Alert. For alerts including a voice component, you do have some control over delivery. You can choose whether voice alerts are sent to a particular mobile phone by visiting the My Account tab, and clicking the Edit link associated with your Mobile Contact. Click the Enable Voice Message Delivery checkbox to turn on voice alert delivery for the selected phone.
If you wish to receive ONLY voice messages on a particular mobile device, add the phone number to the list of Voice Only Line Contacts within the My Account tab. When a mobile phone number is listed as a Voice Only Line Contact, it will receive voice messages only. We encourage you to enable as many Broadcast Alert methods as possible to increase the likelihood of receiving a given Broadcast Alert message.
Why did I not receive an Alert during a severe weather warning?
A: Illini-Alerts are issued for severe weather only when there is a verified threat posing an imminent danger to Urbana-Champaign campus. A single weather warning is likely not sufficient to trigger an alert.