Google is expanding earthquake alerts on Android to the entire U.S. and six regions. The feature was first introduced in 2020 and used the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) ShakeAlert system to send alerts to California, Washington, and Oregon. The expansion will use Android phones’ built-in accelerometers (a tool that detects vibrations) to provide early warnings.
The Android Earthquake Alert System looks at crowdsourced data to determine if it’s an earthquake. If the earthquake is 4.5 on the Richter scale or greater, you’ll get either a “Caution” or “Action” alert. The first alert warns you that there is light shaking, but stronger shaking may be coming. “Action” is a call to get protection immediately because moderate or extreme shaking is expected. The system also provides information on how to respond after the earthquake is over.
Google worked with leading experts in the field of earthquakes to improve the Android earthquake alert system. “On-device earthquake alerts reduce the panic and pauses that often occur during crises, where people waste valuable time seeking confirmation from unreliable sources,” said Dr. Janet Sutton, a professor at the University at Albany who specializes in disasters, risk, and public alerts. “Expanding this system will bring critical information to even more users and improve public safety during earthquakes.”
In addition to earthquake alerts, Google is releasing a series of new features, including offline maps for Wear OS smartwatches. The update will let you access maps you’ve downloaded to your phone directly from your watch. You can also use Circle to Search to pinpoint music playing on social media and nearby speakers.
