How your cellphone can warn you about earthquakes earlier than they hit

[ad_1] NEW Now you can take heed to Fox Information articles!

I learn a geeky article that I believe you’ll additionally discover superb.

Google quietly used its Android operating system to show billions of telephones into the biggest earthquake detection community in human historical past.

Your Android cellphone can warn you about an earthquake earlier than the shaking even begins. It’s constructed proper in. You are able to do the identical together with your iPhone, too.

FOLDABLE PHONES ARE IMPRESSIVE TECHNOLOGICAL MARVELS BUT COME WITH SERIOUS COMPROMISES

We’re making a gift of a brand new iPhone 16 Professional (a $999 worth). No buy required. Enter to win now.

iPhones do not include built-in earthquake warnings, however there are apps you should use, like MyShake, that ship them from official networks. (J Pat Carter/Getty Photos)

The way it works Earthquakes start with quick, delicate P-waves . These are the early rumbles most individuals don’t really feel in any respect. However your cellphone’s accelerometer (yep, the identical sensor that is aware of while you flip your cellphone sideways) can detect these waves.

When sufficient Android telephones in the identical space sense the identical movement, Google’s system kicks in and sends early alerts to people who find themselves about to get hit by the stronger, slower S-waves . These are those that trigger injury.

This offers you 15 to 60 seconds of warning. Not a lot time, however sufficient to maneuver away from home windows, duck underneath a desk or cease that ladder climb. Seconds matter when the bottom begins rolling.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT THESE VIDEO TOOLS, YOU’RE ALREADY BEHIND

Google has single-handedly reworked Android telephones into the world's largest earthquake detection system. (Photograph Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Photos/LightRocket through Getty Photos)

This isn’t simply theoretical Based on a examine in Science , the Android-based earthquake detection community caught over 11,000 actual earthquakes between 2021 and 2024.

It covers 98 nations and pushes out round 18 million alerts a month.

In some instances, individuals had over a minute’s discover earlier than the shaking began. And false alarms? Simply three whole throughout greater than 1,300 confirmed occasions. Attempt getting these odds out of your climate app. That’s unbelievable for a free function hiding in your cellphone.

MASSIVE SCAM SPREADING DESIGNED TO TRICK YOU AND STEAL YOUR MONEY

Even in the event you don’t dwell on the San Andreas Fault, be sure the setting is on in case you journey to an space the place you want it:

Open Settings, faucet Security & emergency . Faucet Earthquake Alerts . Be sure it’s turned on. Faucet Check Alert to preview what it seems like. Received a Put on OS smartwatch? It’ll buzz your wrist, too, even when your cellphone’s in one other room.

No matter what smartphone you utilize, there are methods to make use of your machine to detect earthquakes earlier than they occur. (iStock)

What about iPhones? Apple hasn’t enrolled in Quake College (but). Though iPhones have accelerometers, too, Apple doesn’t use them for earthquake detection. When you’re on Workforce iPhone, use the free MyShake to get alerts from official seismic networks.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Get tech-smarter in your schedule Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.

Nationwide radio: Airing on 500+ stations throughout the US - Discover yours or get the free podcast. Each day e-newsletter: Be a part of 650,000 individuals who learn the Present (free!) Watch: On Kim’s YouTube channel Podcast: "Kim Komando In the present day" - Hear wherever you get podcasts Copyright 2025, WestStar Multimedia Leisure. All rights reserved.