According to the report of the Colombian Geological Service (SGC), the epicenter of the most powerful earthquake was located in the municipality of El Calvario (Meta), with a magnitude of 6.1 and a superficial depth of less than 30 kilometers. On Thursday, August 17, Colombia experienced moments of intense anguish due to strong earthquakes and the aftershocks that followed. We share a great tool with you!
Given this situation, it is crucial to understand the measures to take in the event of an earthquake and to take advantage of the technological tools that can really make a difference in terms of safety. In the next Depor article, we will provide you with a detailed guide on how to install or activate a seismic alert on your mobile device.
How do seismic alerts work on the cell phone?
These notifications can arrive a few minutes or even seconds in advance, depending on the magnitude of the tremor. Google uses earthquake detection technology, which is based on the different speeds of seismic waves, which are perceptible by smartphones.
In this way, these devices send information to the Google server, which subsequently generates the corresponding alert. To receive such an alert on your device, you need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network or have access to mobile data.
On Android devices
- Open the settings app on your phone
- Press Security and Emergency and enter the option to check “Earthquake alerts. If for some reason you can’t find this option, press Location then Advanced, and locate Earthquake Alerts.
- Turn the earthquake alert option on or off.
On iOS devices
Unfortunately, the Google alert service is not available, as this type of notification is a unique feature for devices using the Android operating system. Due to the nature of this service, Google has incorporated this feature through an update so that it remains active and can be taken into action in the event of an emergency.
Although Apple devices do not have a native setting for this feature, it is possible to download an app that will also generate earthquake alerts on iOS devices. Follow these steps:
- Go to the App Store and download the Earthquake app.
- Once installed, you will be able to filter the alerts by region. At the top left of the screen, select the desired region; in this case, we will choose South America and Colombia to see the seismic activity recorded in that area.
- To activate alerts, at the bottom right of the screen, select “Settings”. Confirm each of the necessary permissions, such as location, which is required to filter earthquakes relevant to your geographic location. Plus, set critical notifications and alerts to appear even if your phone is in silent or “Do Not Disturb” mode.
It is important to note that these Alerts may vary in their warning time depending on the magnitude of the earthquake. They are not always issued before the event; sometimes, the alert can come during the earthquake itself. This is because earthquakes are highly complex events and it is difficult to predict exactly when they will occur. Despite this, this tool is valuable and will do its best to provide timely notice.