Google is hoping it can save lives in Ukraine by rolling out an air strike alert system for Android phones in the country.
The company created the alert system on a request from the Ukrainian government, which is fending off an invasion from Russia’s military. “Tragically, millions of people in Ukraine now rely on air strike alerts to try to get to safety,” Google President for Global Affairs Kent Walker wrote in an update on the company’s effort to aid Ukraine.
The system is based on the air raid alerts that Ukraine has already been delivering to the public. A week ago, Google recommended users download a third-party app in the country, simply dubbed Air Alarm, as a way to receive alerts on a mobile phone. But now users in the country can begin receiving the same notifications directly over Android.
XDA-Developers first spotted the air raid system while examining the computer code in a new version of Google Play Services, which is preinstalled on most Android phones. An update to version 22.06.15 of Google Play Services contains a string of text that talks about how the alert system works.
“You may get a notification when the air raid alert is issued, and another notification when the air raid alert is canceled,” Google wrote in the computer code. “The Government of Ukraine provides all air raid alert information.”
Google is using an Android phone’s approximate location to determine who will receive alerts. However, Google says it won’t use any of the location information to track or identify users.
Users will receive a message that says: “The Government of Ukraine issued an alert for (a given location and time) Take shelter immediately. Tap to change settings.”
The air raid system seems like it piggybacks on the wireless emergency alert notifications already built into Android phones. The system relies on a cellular or Wi-Fi connection to notify you about incoming disasters, AMBER Alerts, and other public safety messages. Users can also turn it off.
We’ve reached out to Apple on whether it's introducing an air raid alert system for iPhones in Ukraine, and we’ll update the story if we hear back.