Google has introduced a new system that allows you to receive earthquake alerts on your Android phone quickly. It has recently been introduced in India, and this Earthquake early warning system will be introduced all over the world.
Google says that this feature utilizes the sensors present in every Android device to provide you with earthquake alerts and updates, such as accelerators, which can act as small seismometers to detect tremors.
This is the best way, as Google earthquake alerts can optimize earthquake Safety Through Early Warnings and Preparedness.
The earthquake alert system on Android has been designed in consultation with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).
The company sends that Android earthquake alerts will be of two kinds of alerts. The “Be Aware” and “Take Action” alerts are for people who feel shaking at levels 3 and 4 during an earthquake that’s 4.5 or more vital. These alerts pop up on your screen and won’t make any noise if your phone is set to Do Not Disturb or silent mode.
According to Google, they send alerts to people who feel shaking at MMI 5 or higher during an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 or more. In this situation, the alert will override your phone’s notification settings, including Do Not Disturb, and make a loud noise.
Additionally, the alert provides users with safety recommendations, such as seeking cover under a table, to help them stay safe during the earthquake.
Google has mentioned in its blog that if your phone is plugged in for charging, you may receive early earthquake warnings because your phone starts detecting shaking. If many phones in an area sense shaking at the same time, this data is sent to Google’s servers, and from there, Google sends alerts to everyone in that area.
Google has a clever way of using the 2+ billion Android phones worldwide as mini-earthquake detectors. These phones can feel the ground shaking during an earthquake and tell Android users in those areas about it. If you ever feel the ground shaking, you can search “earthquake near me” on Google Search to find more information about what’s happening.
According to Google, they’ll make sure that earthquake alerts are easy to understand for everyone in India, no matter what language they speak.
To get these alerts on your phone, you need to make sure of a few things:
- Your phone should be running on Android 5.0 or a newer version.
- You should have an active WiFi or cellular data connection.
- Make sure your device and location settings are turned on.
To set up the Google earthquake alert system on your smartphone, you can do the following:
- Open your Device settings.
- Navigate to ‘Apps and Notifications’ or ‘Apps.’
- Find and select ‘Google’ from the list.
- Tap on ‘Emergency Alerts.’
- Turn on the switch for ‘Earthquake Alerts’ to start receiving earthquake alerts.
Google is already providing AI-powered flood alerts for all regions in India. The company first started testing flood alerts in Patna, the capital of Bihar, in 2018. Then, in 2020, they expanded these flood alerts to cover the entire country of India.
