Google’s develops Android-based earthquake detection feature to warn smartphone users before quake | Technology News

New Delhi: Google has announced that it has developed an Android-based earthquake detection feature that will alert smartphone users before a quake.

“Starting today, your Android phone can be part of the Android Earthquake Alerts System, wherever you live in the world. This means your Android phone can be a mini seismometer, joining millions of other Android phones out there to form the world’s largest earthquake detection network,” Google said in a blog on Tuesday. 

The Android phone will become a mini seismometer, joining millions of other Android phones out there to form the world’s largest earthquake detection network.

Google said they are starting with earthquake alerts in California since there’s already a great seismometer-based system in place.

The ShakeAlert system uses signals from more than 700 seismometers installed across the state by USGS, Cal OES, University of California Berkeley, and the California Institute of Technology. A few seconds of warning can make a difference in giving you time to drop, cover, and hold on before the shaking arrives, Google added.

“All smartphones come with tiny accelerometers that can sense signals that indicate an earthquake might be happening. If the phone detects something that it thinks may be an earthquake, it sends a signal to our earthquake detection server, along with a coarse location of where the shaking occurred. The server then combines information from many phones to figure out if an earthquake is happening,” Google said.

The Technology giant added that over the coming year, users can expect to see the earthquake alerts coming to more states and countries using Android’s phone-based earthquake detection.