- Google’s Android Earthquake Alerts system crowdsources data from smartphone accelerometers to detect seismic activity.
- The system has detected over 18,000 earthquakes and alerted millions across nearly 100 countries.
- Users receive crucial seconds of warning, enabling them to take protective action before shaking begins.
Google introduced Earthquake Alerts for Android devices back in 2020, and expanded the feature to cover all US states in September 2024. More recently, Google also expanded Android Earthquake Alerts to Wear OS smartwatches to warn you of seismic activity right on your wrist. But have you ever wondered if these alerts actually work? Do they do any good if they alert you a few seconds before an earthquake? As it turns out, crowdsourcing data from millions of Android smartphones to create the world’s most extensive earthquake detection system is a pretty good idea.
With the Android Earthquake Alerts system, Google turned the accelerometers in Android smartphones into a powerful, pocket-sized earthquake detection system. Over the last four years, this system has detected over 18,000 earthquakes and sent alerts to millions of people in nearly 100 countries, according to Google as well as the scientists over at Science.org (the online version of one of the world’s top peer-reviewed academic journals). These preemptive alerts give people crucial moments to distance themselves from dangerous objects and positions and take cover before the earthquake hits their location.