Your Galaxy Watch Will Soon Alert You About Earthquake

Google is bringing its Android earthquake alert system to the Wear OS platform. This capability should reach all eligible Galaxy Watch users over the coming weeks via Play system updates. It will help you get warnings about seismic activity right from your wrist.

Google expands earthquake detection from Android to Wear OS

Launched in 2020 for Android OS, the earthquake alert system can alert you seconds before an earthquake hits. This tool uses sensor data from millions of phones to detect earthquakes. This is particularly helpful if you live in an area where earthquakes happen often. Until now, the earthquake alert system only worked on Android phones. Thanks to Google, it is now available on Wear OS smartwatches as well.

The official release note for the June 2025 Google Play services (v25.21) update mentions, “You’ll get alerts on Wear when an earthquake is expected to cause shaking.” While Google did not share further details about how this alert system will show up on smartwatches, the folks over at Android Authority shed some light on it.

Android earthquake alert system (Via: Android Authority)

The alert system on smartwatches will be similar to that on Android phones. When the system detects shaking, it will display the estimated distance to the epicenter and the initial magnitude. If you are using a cellular variant of a smartwatch, you will still receive the alert even when your smartphone is out of range. This shows the importance of having a smartwatch with cellular connectivity, as you don’t need to rely on a phone to receive timely warnings.

Keep an eye out for your Galaxy Watch connected smartphone — the latest version of Google Play services may reach your device at any moment. You can do so by heading over to the Galaxy Wearable app > Watch settings > Download and install. Meanwhile, Samsung is gearing up to release its Wear OS 6-based One UI 8 Watch update for Galaxy Watch users. You can check if your model is eligible for the upcoming One UI 8 Watch update.