Your Android Phone Just Got Better at Saving Your Life: Here’s How

• Wireless emergency alerts on Android now include a map
• This shows your proximity to the emergency event.
• The update is rolling out with the latest version of Google Play Services.

Wireless emergency alerts on Android are something you may have encountered in the past: they are notifications that appear on your phone and alert you to extreme weather conditions or other dangers that you may need to be aware of.

These are generally items designed for your own safety, but they are government issued, so it depends on what the government considers an emergency.

In any case, these alerts are regional, so the idea is that you’ll only receive them when there’s an emergency affecting your area, but that can still be a little vague, leaving you unclear about how concerned or alert you should be, which is where a new update comes into play.

Article continues below.

Now with maps added