What This App Actually Does
My Earthquake Alerts – Map is a free monitoring tool that pulls seismic data from sources like the USGS and EMSC and displays it on a live map or scrollable list. It sends push notifications when quakes happen, lets you search historical earthquake data going back to 1970, and shows depth, exact location, and distance from your position. It’s built for people who live in earthquake-prone areas, anyone rattled by a recent quake and looking for reassurance, or hobbyist seismology watchers who just like tracking global activity.
Where It Delivers in Daily Use
The core promise of the app holds up well according to users: it’s reliable and reasonably fast at pushing notifications after a quake occurs. Multiple reviewers mention downloading it right after feeling a significant quake (a 5.6 in one case, a 7.0 in Alaska in another) and finding the setup process straightforward, with filter options for magnitude, vicinity, and other parameters. One user specifically praised being able to set a silent notification threshold at 3.0 magnitude, which suggests the customization options are genuinely useful once you find them. The ad situation also seems to have improved over time, with one long-time user noting the app started ad-free and now has an ‘acceptable/tolerable’ level of ads compared to competitors.
The Filtering and Location Frustrations
The most consistent complaint is that filtering isn’t as intuitive or granular as users want. Several reviewers wanted a fixed-radius search (e.g., 100 miles from a set location) rather than relying on the phone’s live GPS position, since most people stay within a 10-50 mile range of home most of the time. One user flat out said they couldn’t figure out how to set filters for magnitude, proximity, and time frame together, comparing the experience unfavorably to how Zillow lets you visually filter map pins. There’s also a battery drain concern tied to keeping GPS on continuously, which the app apparently doesn’t offset by remembering your last known location.
Regional Filtering That Doesn’t Fully Stick
A more serious complaint is that the map view doesn’t always respect the region settings a user has configured. One reviewer reported that even after limiting settings to their continent and region, the map still displayed quakes from Brazil, Turkey, and other unrelated locations, even though notifications themselves were correctly scoped. That’s a meaningful disconnect between what the settings promise and what the map actually shows, and it undercuts the app’s ‘beautifully simple design’ pitch.
Who Should Actually Download This
If you want a free, no-frills way to get notified after nearby or global earthquakes and you’re willing to spend a few minutes digging through settings to tune magnitude and radius thresholds, this app does the job and has a loyal user base to show for it. If you need precise, fixed-location radius searches or a map view that reliably matches your filtered region, expect some friction and possibly a support ticket. It’s a solid pick for anxious aftershock-trackers and casual seismology fans, less so for anyone wanting pinpoint regional precision.
