Help & FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is QuakeSense?

A free iPhone app that tells you instantly whether you felt an earthquake, how big it was, and whether you need to do anything about it.

Where does the earthquake data come from?

USGS (US Geological Survey) as primary source, enriched with Geoscience Australia data. Both cover Australian territory.

How quickly does QuakeSense update after an earthquake?

Events are checked every 75 seconds. Most earthquakes appear in the app within 2–3 minutes of being detected.

Is QuakeSense only for Australia?

Yes. QuakeSense focuses on Australian earthquakes. Events are filtered to the Australian region.

How do I turn on earthquake notifications?

Open the app, go to Alerts, and enable notifications. You can set a magnitude threshold so you only hear about quakes that matter to you.

Why didn't I get a notification for a quake I felt?

Check your magnitude threshold in Alerts — it may be set higher than the quake's magnitude. Also check that iOS notifications are enabled for QuakeSense in your iPhone Settings.

What does the magnitude number mean?

Magnitude measures the energy released. Below 2.0 is rarely felt. 2.0–3.9 may be felt nearby. 4.0–4.9 is felt widely. 5.0+ can cause minor damage. QuakeSense translates these into plain English so you don't need to remember the scale.

What is the "I Felt It" report?

A one-tap way to tell us you felt the quake. Felt reports help confirm ground truth and improve the "felt by people nearby" count shown on each event.

Does QuakeSense work offline?

No. Earthquake data is live from the API. The app requires an internet connection to fetch events and send notifications.

What location data does QuakeSense collect?

QuakeSense uses your approximate location to calculate distance to earthquakes and send location-relevant alerts. Your location is not stored on our servers. See our Privacy Policy.

Is my personal data sold or shared?

No. See our Privacy Policy.

How do I delete my data?

QuakeSense does not store personal data on our servers beyond anonymous felt reports. To remove the app, simply delete it from your iPhone. Contact us if you have specific data requests.

The app says "no recent activity" — is something wrong?

No. This means no earthquakes have been detected near you in the last 10 minutes. Australia does experience quiet periods. The app will update automatically when new events are available.

Is QuakeSense available on Android?

Not yet. QuakeSense is currently iPhone only. Android is on our roadmap.

How do I contact support?

Use the contact form and we'll get back to you within 1–2 business days.