Android Phones In Ukraine Gets Air Raid Alerts

Google said on Thursday that it is beginning to roll out a quick Air Raid Alerts system for Android phones in Ukraine. The new feature is the latest update from the internet giant about its response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, millions of civilians in Ukraine are now relying on airstrike warnings to get to safety. “We’ve started rolling out a quick Air Raid Alerts system for Android phones in Ukraine at the request; and with the help, of the government of Ukraine,” said Kent Walker, Google’s VP of global affairs.

What’s more, the rollout is an addition to Ukraine’s existing air raid alarm systems. It is based on notifications that the Ukrainian government is already sending out.

Google’s vice president of engineering, Dave Burke, outlined the system in a series of tweets. He revealed that it uses the company’s low bandwidth alert mechanism, which it developed for seismic notifications. Burke also mentioned that the system is starting to roll out today and that it will eventually affect all Android phones in Ukraine.

Also Read: iPhone 14 To Support Faster Charging Speeds?

Moreover, Google claims that the functionality will work on phones running Android 5 or later that have Google Play Services, and that most users will not need to do anything to get it. It will be rolled out over the next few days and should reach the majority of devices in the country.

The device location setting must be “on” for the feature to work, and the phone must be turned on and should be connected to a network.

How to enable Air Raid Alerts feature?

On Android 12 devices, users can switch the feature on or off under the Safety & Emergency or Location Services settings; in the Location Services setting on older Android versions: