How to get earthquake alerts on your Android phone

On Tuesday, many Android owners in the San Francisco Bay Area received early notice before the 5.1-magnitude earthquake near San Jose. According to Android Authority, many on Twitter reported that they received alerts about earthquakes before iOS users did – which is a deep note, considering how things are going the other way for upgrades.

In 2020, Google teamed up with the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to develop a system that sends earthquake alerts to people living in California who own an Android phone. Powered by ShakeAlert, the alert system will allow Android phones to be small seismometers, to detect earthquakes, and give people a few seconds of grace to turn around and cover before the shock waves start.

Google’s earthquake alert system proved successful when Android users reported that they received notifications five to 10 seconds before they felt any shaking. To prove its effectiveness, Google’s Vice President of Engineering for Android Dave Burke tweeted a GIF of a Bay Area map showing Android phones lighting up before the earthquake.

If you live in an earthquake-prone country or region, such as California, Japan, Haiti, or even the Philippines, and want a way for your phone to detect them, you might want to make sure you enable Google ShakeAlert, which is built into any Android phone you have. For added security, you can also download the MyShake or Earthquake Alert app! Application.

How to get Google ShakeAlert

Google ShakeAlert is already pre-installed on Android phones and is used throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, but is also used in select other countries. The system uses a network of 1,657 sensors to detect the earthquake’s shaking, and analyzes that data to determine the size and location of the earthquake. Then it sends a signal to Android Earthquix to send notifications directly to Android phones.

Android sends two types of earthquake alerts, but both are only used with a scale of 4.5 or greater. Be Aware Alert warns you about vibrating light and gives you more information when you tap on the notification. Take Action Alert hacks into Do Not Disturb settings and plays a loud sound to get your attention, giving you instructions to drop, cover, and wait – just like to stop, drop, and roll if it catches fire.

Whether you live in those states or just travel and want to enable this feature for your safety, follow these simple instructions.

Step 1: Go to Settings.

Step 2: Select the Safety and Emergencies tab.

Step 3: Turn on earthquake alerts.

How to use the MyShake app

The MyShake app is developed by the University of California, Berkeley and sponsored by Cal OES. Just like ShakeAlert, it is used in California, Oregon, and Washington.

The app sends an earthquake alert notification when it estimates there will be shaking, and takes you to a page that reminds you to drop, cover and hold something. The map will show the earthquake’s magnitude as an icon associated with your location, and it will stay there until more information about the earthquake becomes available. The orange dot will replace the target point icon after 10 minutes, and clicking on it will take you to the earthquake information page.

You can also go to the earthquake event page, which will give you a map showing the hexagons representing reports from other users of the app. Here’s how to take advantage of this app.

Step 1: Download the MyShake app from the Google Play Store.

Step 2: Open the app and select Allow location tracking, notifications and alerts. Turning on location settings helps the app know your phone’s approximate location to determine if you’re in the affected area, and enable it to send you earthquake alerts.

Step 3: Choose whether you live in California, Oregon or Washington.

Step 4: Check recent earthquakes, report any earthquakes you’ve experienced, and visit the safety page to learn about safety techniques. Drop, Cover, and Hold are the most important earthquake safety rule, and you’ll see this reminder when you get a loud notification telling you that an earthquake is about to strike.

How to use earthquake alert! Application

While not exactly the most popular app of the bunch, Earthquake Alert! The app still works as a good option for people who live in other earthquake-prone countries. In addition, it has more features than ShakeAlert and MyShake.

Step 1: Download Earthquake Alert! The app from the Google Play Store, open the app, and give it permission to track your location.

Step 2: Choose the “Recent” tab to view a list of earthquake magnitudes in your location and other regions around the world.

Step 3: Go to the map to get a visual understanding of the strength of earthquakes around the world. Green spots represent magnitudes of 3.0 or less, and red spots represent magnitudes of 4.0 or higher. The purple lines on the map represent the fault lines, which will help you identify the fault line you live on.

Step 4: Select the News tab to get updates on earthquakes occurring in your area and elsewhere.

Step 5: Choose the Statistics tab to see how many earthquakes have occurred at present, in the past week, and in the past month.

Step 6: Above all, if you feel any earthquakes, report them to USGS.

Like it or not, no matter where you live, earthquakes are inevitable because tectonic plates are always on the move, and have been moving for millions of years. The stronger it is, the greater the damage and loss of life. These apps will help you be more prepared for this natural disaster and save the lives of other people affected by it.

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