QuakeMate help

Each section below covers one part of the app. Jump straight to what you need from the table of contents.

Getting started

QuakeMate shows real-time earthquakes worldwide, lets you filter them by magnitude, timeframe and data source, and notifies you when a quake matches the criteria you care about.

The first time you open the app you go through a short onboarding that covers permissions (notifications and location) and offers Premium. You can change every setting later from the Settings tab.

Earthquake alerts and notifications

Alerts are push notifications that fire when a new earthquake matches the rules you set. You can have multiple alert rules running at once (e.g. anything above M4 near you, plus anything above M6 worldwide).

Set them up in Alerts from the bottom tab bar. Each alert has a magnitude threshold, an optional location and radius, and an optional time-of-day filter. Premium is required for location-based alerts and custom radii.

If you stop receiving notifications, check that QuakeMate is allowed to send notifications in iOS Settings, and that you have at least one alert rule enabled.

Live earthquake map

The map view plots every earthquake matching your current filters. Colour and size reflect magnitude. Tap a pin for details (depth, source agency, distance from you), and pull up the bottom sheet for the full list view.

Toggle the Volcanoes filter to overlay active volcano markers on top of the earthquake map.

Display modes: Recent, Around, Felt

The mode picker at the top of the map switches what you are looking at:

  • Recent shows the latest earthquakes worldwide matching your filters.
  • Around centres on your current location and limits results to your chosen radius. Requires Premium and location permission.
  • Felt highlights events where users have reported feeling the shake.

Filters (magnitude, timeframe, source)

The filter pill bar above the list controls what data you see:

  • Magnitude sets the minimum threshold. Anything below it is hidden from the map and list.
  • Timeframe ranges from the last hour to all time. Extended ranges (year, all) unlock for high magnitudes.
  • Source picks which agency provides the data (USGS, EMSC/Seismic Portal, etc.). Different sources cover different regions with different latency.

Sharing an earthquake

Open any earthquake and tap the share button to generate a branded image with the map, magnitude and location. The same screen lets you copy a deep link to the event so anyone with QuakeMate installed can open it directly.

Taking a screenshot anywhere in the app prompts the option to share a branded version instead of the raw screenshot.

Premium features

Premium unlocks the parts of QuakeMate that need location data or extra server resources:

  • Custom alert radius and per-rule magnitude thresholds
  • Around mode (location-centred map)
  • Extended timeframes for high-magnitude history
  • Ad-free experience

Premium is offered as a monthly or yearly subscription via the App Store. Family Sharing is supported, so one yearly plan can cover everyone in your family group.

Managing or cancelling your subscription

Open Profile from the tab bar, then Account management. Tap Manage subscription to open Apple's subscription settings (the only place you can change plan or cancel).

If you cancel via Cancel subscription, we ask a quick question first and may offer a discounted yearly plan. Cancelling never loses you access immediately - your Premium runs out at the end of the current billing period.

Account and sign in

Signing in syncs your alert rules and Premium status across devices and Family Sharing members. Sign in with Apple is supported.

You can sign out or permanently delete your account from Profile Account management. Deleting an account removes your alert rules, history and saved places and cannot be undone. Cancel your subscription first via Apple so you are not billed again.

Troubleshooting

  • No notifications: iOS Settings → Notifications → QuakeMate, allow alerts; then in the app, open Alerts and confirm at least one rule is enabled.
  • Around mode greyed out: requires Premium and location permission (iOS Settings → Privacy → Location Services → QuakeMate → While Using).
  • Inaccurate magnitude or location: try switching the data source in the filter bar; different agencies report differently and update on different schedules.
  • Premium not recognised after purchase: pull to refresh on the Profile screen, or tap Restore purchases in Settings.

Still stuck?

The quickest way to reach us is one of these forms - pick whichever fits:

Reporting a bug? Include your device model, iOS version, app version and a short description of what happened in Report a problem. Screenshots help.

See also our Privacy Policy and Terms.