At 1:21 a.m. on March 26, a magnitude-4.2 earthquake struck Yongqing County in Langfang City, north China's Hebei Province, at a depth of 20 kilometers. Many residents in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region reported feeling the tremor.
Following the earthquake, a level-III emergency response was launched. Working teams have been dispatched to the affected areas to support local governments in emergency response efforts.
The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) and local seismic agencies closely monitored the situation. No casualties were reported so far, but the tremor raised public awareness of earthquake early warning (EEW) systems, and their integration with smartphones and other electronic devices.
A citizen receives an EEW notification on the mobile phone in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, east China, August 6, 2023. /VCG
China's EEW system provides real-time alerts through various digital platforms. During the Langfang earthquake, nearly 300,000 people received advance warnings on their smartphones and other connected devices.
Users can enable earthquake alerts by following CENC's official Weixin account. Huawei smartphones offer built-in EEW functionality in "settings – security – emergency warnings," while Apple users can also receive alerts through China's emergency notification system if enabled in settings.
Warnings were also sent via television, emergency radio and network push notifications. These alerts help residents take immediate protective actions.