Northern Illinois University
Department of Police and Public Safety

All NIU email addresses are automatically enrolled in the university's safety notification system. In order to receive text messages (when that method of delivery is appropriate), you need to provide your mobile phone number through MyNIU. You can also download the NIU Safe app to receive a Safety Notification on your mobile device.

• Download the NIU Safe App
• Subscribe to NIU Alert Text Messages

Download the NIU Safe App

The NIU Safe app is built on a mobile app platform used by large college campuses across the nation. NIU Safe provides a wide range of safety features for all students, faculty and staff.

With the NIU Safe App, you can receive weather and safety warnings, get police assistance at the touch of a button and walk safely across campus by allowing friends or the police to temporarily track your progress. The NIU Safe app links to the ETA Spot bus tracker. It tells you where the Huskie buses are at all times of day—and night. With Huskie Safe Line, you can get free bus rides from midnight to 7 a.m.

NIU Safe Mobile App

• Apple App Store
• Google Play Store

Subscribe to NIU Alert Text Messages

Please note: Not all safety notifications are sent via text message; depending on the circumstances, the notification can be distributed via a variety of appropriate channels. Text messages will come from 23-7233 (BE SAFE)

• Employees
• Parents, Spouses and Family Members
• Community Members and General Public

Current Students

Students who provide their mobile phone number in MyNIU are automatically registered to receive NIU Alert text messages (in addition to emails to their niu.edu email accounts). Follow these steps to add or change your phone number:

1. Go to MyNIU and enter your AccountID and password.
2. Click on MyNIU Student System.
3. Scroll down to Personal Information.
4. Click on Phone Numbers
5. Click on Add Phone Number
6. Choose Mobile from the dropdown list and enter your 10-digit mobile phone number and click on Save.
7. You will see a confirmation message. Click on OK.

Employees

Faculty and staff who provide their cell phone number to NIU via the HR self-service portal are automatically registered to receive NIU Alert text messages (in addition to emails at their niu.edu email accounts). Follow these steps to add or change your phone number(s):

1. Go to MyNIU (Human Resource System) and enter your AccountID and password.
2. Click on Personal Details.
3. From left navigation, click on Contact Details.
4. Click on + icon under Phone.
5. Choose Mobile from the Type dropdown list, enter your 10-digit mobile phone number and click on Save.
6. Your mobile number should now appear in the list of Phone contacts. 

Parents, Spouses and Family Members

NIU students have the ability to register up to two additional contacts to receive NIU Alerts. These contacts can be parents, spouses, family members or anyone else.

In the event of a situation that presents an imminent and verifiable danger to the campus community, notifications will be sent to all students and employees, along with parents, spouses and others who have subscribed.

Please note: Safety Warnings and Community Awareness messages are not sent to this group; only NIU Alerts are.

Students, register two emergency contacts to receive NIU alerts using the following process:

1. Go to MyNIU and enter your AccountID and password.
2. Click on MyNIU Student System.
3. Scroll down to Personal Information.
4. Click on the Emergency Contacts link.
5. Click on the Add an Emergency Contact button.
6. Enter the name of the person who would like to receive NIU Alert text messages, and select the relationship for your contact person.
7. Click on Add Phone Number.
8. Choose Mobile from the dropdown list, enter the 10-digit mobile phone number and click on Save.
9. You will see a confirmation message. Click on OK.
10. Click on Add Email Address and choose Home from the dropdown menu. Type the email address and click on Save.
11. You will see a confirmation message. Click on OK.
12. Be sure to check the box next to the contact that states "Receive NIU Alerts"

You may repeat this process to register a second person.

Community Members and General Public

Members of the community and the general public can access NIU Safety Notifications through the following channels:

• NIU Police and Public Safety on Facebook
• NIU Police and Public Safety on Twitter (@niupolice)
• NIU's Current Safety Notifications web page