Google fixes Android earthquake warning after major mistakes in Türkiye

Google says it updated its Android Earthquake Alert System after the tool failed to provide the most urgent warning to millions of people when it was catastrophic Türkiye earthquake of 2023. Rotating system Android phone “Mini Seismometers” is designed to quickly detect earthquakes and push alerts to nearby people before a strong shaking hit. According to Google.

However, when two major earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria in the south in February 2023, the alert system did not send the highest level of “action” notifications to around 10 million people in the region. Google told the BBC. Instead, Android users have received low-level “caution” notifications or have not received anything at all. Google did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

That was the case with the 2023 earthquake Among the most deadly It has killed more than 50,000 people and chased millions in the region’s modern history. That’s all 70% The Turkish mobile phone uses the company’s Android operating system. Apple’s competing iOS software relies on government warnings and does not have comparable built-in earthquake warnings.

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How Google is revising its alert system

in A paper published earlier this month By journal Science, Google said it discovered “detection algorithm limitations” during the event. The system, the company said, underestimated the severity of the earthquake and failed to raise the highest level warnings that tell people to cover it immediately.

Google says it has since improved its detection algorithm and rethinks the first Turkish earthquake with improved reaction results.

How Google’s Alert System Works

Android’s earthquake warning system is available in over 90 countries and uses small vibrations picked up by mobile phone accelerometers to find seismic activity faster than traditional monitoring stations alone. When enough phones detect a shaking, Google’s system estimates Quake’s location, size, impact zone and presses an alert directly on people’s screens.

The idea is to buy precious few seconds before the powerful shaking begins, and hopefully it will provide enough time for people to stop by, hide, or move to a safer place.

The system is believed to have provided early warnings during earthquakes in California, Greece and Japan. But the turkey mistake in 2023 highlighted the challenge of building a global warning system that relies on millions of phones and the high interests when it’s wrong. The Turkey earthquake was unusually complex, with multiple fault ruptures and strong aftershocks. This can make accurate detection difficult, but it also highlights why timely alerts are so important.

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Google says it continues to improve its seismic technology and encourages Android users to keep the feature on. Earthquake alerts are enabled by default on many Android phones and can be seen below Safety and emergency setting.

With increased climate and earthquake risk, mobile-based early warning systems become a way to reach people faster than traditional sirens and broadcasts. However, Google warns that the alert system is intended to complement the national earthquake warning system.