How Google uses your Android phone to detect earthquakes
Your Android phone might just save the day—thanks to a new system called Android Earthquake Alerts System (AEA), millions of devices now double as mini earthquake detectors, sending out warnings before the shaking even starts.
It's a smart, affordable way to keep people safer, especially in places without fancy seismic networks.
How AEA works
AEA uses your phone's built-in sensors to spot early signs of earthquakes.
When enough phones pick up tremors, the info goes to Google's servers; if it checks out, nearby users get an alert—sometimes seconds before things get shaky.
In California, AEA teams up with ShakeAlert for extra accuracy.
Millions of alerts sent each month
Between 2021 and 2024, this system picked up over 300 quakes a month in nearly 100 countries and sent about 18 million alerts each month for bigger quakes.
Around one-third of users got notified before any shaking started—a heads-up that could make all the difference when every second counts.