With recent earthquake tremors felt across North India, getting even a few seconds’ warning before the shaking starts can prevent people from getting panicked and help them stay safe. Thanks to the Android system, you can now receive a prior warning before the earthquake. The Android smartphones come with a built-in earthquake alert system that can warn you before it hits you. All you have to do is enable the earthquake alert in your system’s settings.
Here’s how it works and how you can enable it on your device.
Your phone’s accelerometer, the sensor that detects when you rotate your screen, picks up the initial, faster tremors of an earthquake, known as P-waves. These early waves aren’t harmful but signal that a bigger shake may be coming. Once your phone detects these signals, it anonymously sends your location and motion data to Google’s servers.
When enough phones in one area detect the same early tremors, the system confirms an earthquake is underway. Before the slower, more damaging S-waves arrive, Google sends out an alert to your phone, giving you a few seconds of time to prepare.
The earthquake alert system is being rolled out gradually across India, with initial activation already underway in many major cities and quake-prone regions. If your Android phone runs version 5.0 or higher and has Google Play Services enabled, you’re probably covered.
Alerts activate automatically in supported areas; however, you must still enable them in your settings.
If your phone buzzes with an earthquake warning act quickly by moving to a safe place like a corner of your room or under the table or hold on to a sturdy surface. Also, stay away from windows and anything that might fall and most importantly, don’t panic.