Today, Sweden's New Crisis Alert System Will Be Tested – Millions of Phones May Start Blaring

At 3:00 PM on Monday, Sweden’s new warning system SE-Alert will be tested for the first time. Millions of mobile phones in Stockholm and Gotland may emit a loud sound and vibrate— even if the phone is set to silent. Some parts of three neighboring counties may also be affected.

The new system is intended to complement the current Important Public Announcement (VMA) system. Instead of relying solely on radio, TV, apps, and the outdoor siren “Hesa Fredrik,” authorities will now be able to reach people directly via their mobile phones in the event of serious incidents.

SE-Alert was launched on July 1 and is based on so-called cell broadcast technology. This means the warning is sent to all compatible phones within a geographical area at once, rather than to specific phone numbers. No app or registration is required. All that’s needed is for the mobile to be turned on, connected to the mobile network, and have updated software.

Today’s test will take place within the eastern civil area, which includes the counties of Stockholm and Gotland. People in parts of Uppsala, Södermanland, and Västmanland counties may also receive the alert, as the system uses mobile towers, and their coverage does not always coincide exactly with county boundaries.

The test will be carried out at the same time as the regular quarterly test of Hesa Fredrik. At 3:00 PM, a test message will be sent to phones. After about five minutes, at 3:05 PM, a new message will indicate that the danger is over.

No action is required from those who receive the message. The Swedish Civil Protection Agency encourages people to inform children, youths, and the elderly in advance about the test, since the sound signal is designed to be noticeable even when the phone is set to silent.

Can Be Used in Crises and War

SE-Alert is not intended to replace Hesa Fredrik or other VMA channels. Instead, the system will give the state another way to quickly reach people who are in an affected area.

The MCF describes the rollout as part of the ongoing strengthening of Sweden’s civil defense. The agency points to the deteriorating security situation, the experiences from the war in Ukraine, and Sweden’s NATO membership as reasons for the need for improved capabilities to protect the civilian population.

The authority’s director general, Mikael Frisell, has previously stated the ambition to test the new technology alongside Hesa Fredrik. He has also described civil protection as an area where Sweden needs to further build its capabilities.

The Minister for Civil Defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, has called SE-Alert a new way to warn the population of imminent and acute danger, describing it as a new capability within civil defense. He has also pointed to experiences from Ukraine, where warning systems are quickly used to allow people to seek shelter.

Four Levels of Alerts

SE-Alert is structured around four different levels of alert. The highest level is air-raid alarm, which cannot be turned off. For the other alert levels, it is possible to adjust the phone settings, but authorities recommend not turning off these alerts.

The alerts can be used for incidents such as accidents and other serious societal disturbances, but the system is also designed for situations involving increased readiness and, ultimately, war. Senders can be those who already issue VMA alerts today, such as the police, rescue services, and the Swedish Transport Administration.

For the first test, the message title may be in English. The message content, according to MCF, will be in Swedish followed by English. This is a technical issue that will be corrected in future updates from Apple and Google.

The Next Test Will Be National

Today’s test is not a nationwide test. The MCF states that the selected area provides the opportunity to try the system in both a metropolitan region and a geographically limited county.

The next major test will take place in December—then SE-Alert will be tested across the entire country. MCF, the Post and Telecom Authority, and SOS Alarm have worked together to introduce the system.

In conjunction with today’s test, Carl-Oskar Bohlin and MCF’s director general Mikael Frisell will hold a press conference at Rosenbad at 2:40 PM. The new warning system will be demonstrated to the media in advance of the 3:00 PM notification.

For those in the test area, this will be a concrete first trial of how Sweden in the future will be able to warn the population directly in their pockets—from a local serious incident to the most critical situation where the civilian population needs to receive information quickly during heightened readiness or war.