• The Android Earthquake Alert system failed to detect recent tremors in north India, possibly due to its recent launch and gradual rollout to Android 5+ users in the country.
  • The system utilizes accelerometers in Android smartphones to function as mini-seismometers, identifying potential earthquakes when multiple phones detect simultaneous shaking.
  • Once an earthquake is detected, the system sends advance warnings to nearby Android handsets. The feature was recently made available in local languages in India.
  • However, the system has limitations including the inability to detect all earthquakes, and errors in estimating magnitude and shaking intensity.
  • Usage of this feature requires Wi-Fi and/or cellular data connectivity, with both Android Earthquake Alerts and location settings enabled.
  • LCP@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I keep mine off except when driving or when I want GPS-tagged photos. Saves me a bit of battery life.

    My phone is always with me in my pocket so I don’t feel the need to track its location using “Find My”. And to be honest, no one is going to find stealing a Pixel 6a enticing…