Users of Android phones in Ukraine will get air raid warnings directly on their devices before anticipated assaults occur near them, Google announced today. The firm said it is collaborating with the Ukrainian government to provide an Android phone warning system throughout the country in a blog post. The feature was first spotted by the XDA-Developers team.
Google:
“Tragically, millions of people in Ukraine now rely on air strike alerts to try to get to safety. At the request, and with the help, of the government of Ukraine, we’ve started rolling out a rapid Air Raid Alerts system for Android phones in Ukraine. This work is supplemental to the country’s existing air raid alert systems, and based on alerts already being delivered by the Ukrainian government.”
Google to send air raid alerts to Android users in Ukraine
The government of Ukraine has started to provide air-raid alerts through a new system called Ukrainian Alarm that Google has already been advertising on the Google Play Store. The updated warning system will begin rolling out today and will be gradually implemented across all Android phones in Ukraine in the coming days.
The system leverages our low latency alert mechanism we built for earthquake alerts. The air raid system is supplemental to, and shares the same triggers used for, the country's existing air raid alert systems. 2/3
— Dave Burke (@davey_burke) March 10, 2022
Google has reduced its presence in Russia since the country’s invasion of Ukraine, including suspending ad sales and removing state-funded media apps from Google Play in Europe.
