A phantom earthquake alert sent waves of panic across at least nine Cuban provinces this Tuesday afternoon. Around 3 PM, Android devices began buzzing with warnings of an impending earthquake—a notification that was never issued by any Cuban authority.
Dr. Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of the National Seismological Service at the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS), was quick to refute the alert in statements to TV Santiago and Tele Turquino.
“We are uncertain about the origins of this earthquake alert circulated in Cuba. It's possible that the Android system used in other countries misfired, particularly given recent earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela. Somehow, this might have triggered something in Cuba, but I emphasize, the seismic activity here remains normal,” he stated.
The alert reached devices in provinces such as Mayabeque, Granma, Holguín, Matanzas, Havana, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba. It even disrupted phones set to 'do not disturb' mode, adding to the confusion among residents.
Dr. Arango Arias stressed, “No earthquake has been detected by Cuba’s National Seismological Service that would trigger any system-wide alert to phones. This was a false alarm, likely generated by an Android system unrelated to any seismic situation in Cuba.”
He reiterated that the only authorized bodies to issue earthquake alerts in Cuba are the National Seismological Service and the Civil Defense General Staff: “We are the first to report any significant, perceivable earthquake in Cuba [...] No other entity is authorized to issue an earthquake alert in our country.”
Addressing the real state of seismic activity, the scientist dismissed any immediate threat: “There are no indications of earthquake swarms or anything suggesting a future increase in seismic activity.”
Dr. Arango Arias pointed to Google’s Android seismic alert system as a possible source of the error. This system, designed to detect earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater using accelerometers in over two billion devices, operates as a distributed detection network.
Although implemented in several countries, it is not officially active in Cuba. The recent regional seismic activity might have inadvertently triggered it: Colombia experienced a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on August 10 in Chocó, resulting in at least 240 deaths, and Venezuela faced two major quakes of 7.1 and 7.5 magnitudes on June 24, causing hundreds of fatalities and severe damage in Caracas.
This isn’t the first mishap for Google's system; in February 2025, a false 5.5 magnitude earthquake alert in Brazil led the company to temporarily disable the service while investigating.
Hours after the mass alert, it was confirmed that a minor tremor did occur in Ciego de Ávila that afternoon. However, it caused no material damage or casualties and was unrelated to the mobile notifications.
This incident adds to an already seismically active year for Cuba: a 6.2 magnitude quake struck Pinar del Río on June 8, and a 6.0 magnitude tremor hit Imías, Guantánamo, on March 17, with over 900 aftershocks within the first 24 hours.
Understanding Cuba's Earthquake Alert Systems
What caused the false earthquake alert in Cuba?
The false alert was likely caused by Google's Android seismic alert system, which may have been inadvertently triggered by recent regional seismic activities, despite not being officially implemented in Cuba.
Who is authorized to issue earthquake alerts in Cuba?
In Cuba, the National Seismological Service and the Civil Defense General Staff are the only entities authorized to issue earthquake alerts.
Has a similar false alert happened before with Google's system?
Yes, in February 2025, a false earthquake alert in Brazil led Google to temporarily disable their alert system in the region while they investigated the issue.