After Xiaomi and OPPO, iPhones to get earthquake alerts too; China in talks with Apple..

The China Earthquake Administration has recently confirmed that it is in talks with Apple to integrate the official earthquake warning system into iOS. This move follows a public suggestion noting that while major brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo already offer this feature at the system level, iPhone users currently lack access to it.

The China Earthquake Networks Center is in contact with Apple and is working to expedite the process. Currently, iPhone users can receive official alerts via a WeChat mini-program. The country launched the world's largest earthquake early warning network in July 2024, which has issued over 700 warnings in the past two years.

**Current Status and Negotiations**

Responding to public feedback on its official website, the China Earthquake Administration stated that the China Earthquake Networks Center is actively communicating with Apple. The goal is to incorporate official earthquake warning information into the iOS system as soon as possible. Efforts to achieve this have been ongoing, with multiple rounds of discussions held previously, though full integration has not yet been realized. For now, the alternative for iPhone users is the WeChat mini-program, which delivers official alerts.

**Comparison with Other Brands**

Brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo have already made the national authority's alert system available through built-in features. The absence of this feature on iPhones is notable because iOS requires direct system-level integration. The importance of official channels was highlighted recently during a 4.7-magnitude earthquake in Yibin, Sichuan, when certain third-party systems erroneously issued a warning for a 7.7-magnitude quake. Cell Broadcast and Future Plans

The authority clarified that alerts based on cell broadcast technology can reach smartphones of any brand, as they operate via mobile base stations. The China Earthquake Administration, in collaboration with the departments of industry and information technology, is working on incorporating earthquake early warning capabilities into this system.

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