New Delhi, July 28: Earthquakes can happen at anytime, often catching people completely unaware of what is happening around them. Many Android phones come with a helpful feature that can warn you before earthquakes begin. Unfortunately, not everyone might be aware of the procedure for activating earthquake alerts on their smartphones. The system uses the phone’s built-in sensors to detect early signs of an earthquake.

Android phones have brought early quake warnings to 98 countries. Between 2021 and 2024, these devices successfully alerted thousands of people living in areas prone to early quakes. The Android Earthquake Alert System (AEA) was initially launched in the United States in 2020. It later expanded to countries like New Zealand and Greece in 2021. By the end of 2023, the system was being used in 98 countries around the world. Google News Initiative AI Skills Academy Launched in India in Collaboration With IIMC To Equip Country’s Newsroom With Knowledge and Tools for AI-Powered Future.

How Does Android’s Earthquake Alert System Work

Users might think how an Android smartphone could really detect an earthquake before you even feel it? In a blog post, Google explained how your Android phone can detect earthquakes using its built-in accelerometer, the same sensor that rotates your screen. If the phone is stationary and picks up the initial fast-moving P-wave, it sends a signal and approximate location to Google’s earthquake detection servers.

The system quickly reviews signals from multiple Android phones to confirm if an earthquake is happening and estimates its location and strength. Its main goal is to alert people before the stronger, more damaging S-wave arrives. It sends two types of alerts. BeAware alerts for light shaking, and TakeAction alerts for stronger shaking, which trigger a loud sound and take over the phone screen.

How To Get Earthquake Alerts on Your Android Phone

To get earthquake alerts on your Android phone, users need to have either Wi-Fi or mobile data turned on, along with location settings and the Android Earthquake Alerts feature enabled. Google said, "Alerts are sent based on a privacy-preserving, coarse location of the device." Elon Musk Announces Samsung Will Produce Tesla’s Next-Generation AI6 Chip at Its Semiconductor Plant in Texas.

If your device is running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or later and has Google Play Services enabled, you are likely eligible for these notifications. To enable the feature, open your Settings app. Then, go to Safety & Emergency and then Earthquake alerts. If you do not see that option, navigate to Location and then Advanced and then Earthquake alerts. From there, you can switch the Earthquake alerts on or off based on your preference.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 28, 2025 04:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).