Google's earthquake early-warning system has used phone accelerometers on Android devices to increase quake alerts by tenfold across 98 countries.

Back in 2020, Google kicked off a project to crowdsource signals from Android phones that an earthquake might be imminent. The system leveraged the accelerometers inside these devices to gather seismic data, combine it to detect patterns consistent with an earthquake, and deliver timely alerts to people who might be affected.

Google has admitted its earthquake early warning system failed to accurately alert people during Turkey's deadly quake of 2023. Ten million people within 98 miles of the epicentre could have been sent Google's highest level alert - giving up to 35 seconds of warning to find safety.