Here are some of the most useful earthquake apps for preparedness, research, and knowledge.
With earthquake warnings, you’ll only have seconds to receive a warning of shaking before the shocks hit.
Don’t rely on these apps alone to keep you safe, simply to keep you informed.
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Plenty of sorting tools and information, with each quake clickable and taking you straight to the map.
The News tab is about the app, not earthquake news.
QuakeFeed is just the quakes, always the quakes, all the time.
Download For:
Best Early Warning Alerts for Pacific Northwesterners: MyShake
Worldwide map of earthquakes.
Any user can contribute to the web link through a simple survey.
View damage and shaking reports, including intensity levels.
Free with no ads or in-app purchases.
Limited coverage for early warning alerts.
User-reported data is hard to rely on.
MyShake is a project of the University of California.
Best for Safety: Emergency by American Red Cross
Detailed quake preparation information.
Informative, even fun, educational quizzes.
Deep and detailed information about helping others as well as yourself.
Earthquake safety is important, but you might be taken aback by how little you actually know.
Best for Amateur Seismologists: Earthquake Alert!
Simple to use interface.
Detailed information including intensity, location, time, and depth within the Earth.
The Stats tab has plenty of fun facts for seismology fans.
News tab is automated, not curated.
The map is imprecise; you may need to zoom and keep zooming to find a specific quake.
Best for Science Education: Tremor Tracker
Fun interface, perfect for kids.
Very clickable and interactive, ideal for science education.
Not particularly deep beyond the neat interface.
No feature to jump to a particular quake.
Wondering if there are a lot of earthquakes near you?
Or just want to see where they are in a fun way?
For Non-Quake Seismic Events: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Granular and detailed lists and maps.
Map tab includes a satellite imagery option.
A-Z list of recent events.
The interface values function over style.
Has to download a database to your phone directly.
Not every shaking of the earth is an earthquake.
Reports on tsunamis as well as earthquakes.
Constantly pushes “VIP Service” which prioritizes your warnings ahead of free users.
Earthquake internet works by crowdsourcing alerts.
As users feel a quake, the alert races through the system, letting you know precious seconds earlier.
It’s also just a useful app to have to help gather data.
Best for Overseas Vacations: LastQuake
Attractive, well-designed interface.
Informative details under each quake, including witness statements and photographs.
European-focused, for obvious reasons, so it’s more of a backup app for Americans.
May need to play with the tabs a bit to find the ideal mix.
Don’t leave for your European vacation without it downloaded.
Best No-Brainer for Android Users: Android Earthquake Detection
Detects earthquakes and alerts residents.
Users will get the alerts automatically.
System is completely free.
If you’re very close to an earthquake, you won’t get much advance warning.
Google gathers and analyzes this data and then automatically sends out an alert to users in the area.
After the quake, users can access tips for what to do next.
Google works with California’s ShakeAlert System to warn affected residents in California, Oregon, and Washington.
Google plans to roll out the feature to more areas but decided to focus initially on particularly earthquake-vulnerable locations.
