Summary of Key Insights

The "My Earthquake Alerts & Feed" app generally receives positive feedback, indicated by a high percentage of 5-star reviews (62%). Users appreciate its timely alerts, ease of use, and comprehensive information. However, significant pain points exist, particularly regarding the accuracy of location-based notifications, delays in alerts, and issues with the app's settings not saving correctly. The ad-supported model is also a point of contention for some users. There's a strong desire for more customizable notifications, better time accuracy, and enhanced map features. Overall, while the app is valued for its core functionality, addressing these issues could significantly improve user satisfaction.

Data & Methodology Overview

• Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
• Time Frame: Reviews span a significant period, with some dating back several years. The reviews analyzed were current as of the date the prompt was generated (late December 2024/early January 2025)
• Analysis Methods:
  • Sentiment Analysis: Qualitative assessment of review tone (positive, negative, neutral).
  • Keyword Extraction: Identification of frequently used words and phrases to determine common themes and issues.
  • Frequency Analysis: Counting the occurrences of specific issues or feature requests to prioritize them.

Key User Pain Points

• Inaccurate Location-Based Notifications:
  • Users frequently report receiving alerts for earthquakes far outside their specified region, even when settings are configured for "nearby" or a specific state. This leads to irrelevant notifications and frustration.
  • Impact: Reduces the app's usefulness as a local warning system and creates unnecessary anxiety.
• Delays in Alerts:
  • Many users complain about receiving notifications several minutes, hours, or even days after an earthquake has occurred.
  • Impact: Negates the value of the app as an early warning system.
• Settings Not Saving/Working Correctly:
  • Users report that their preferences for location, magnitude, and other settings are not consistently saved or applied, resulting in unwanted alerts and inaccurate data.
  • Impact: Leads to a frustrating user experience and distrust in the app's reliability.
• Annoying Ads:
  • While the app is advertised as ad-supported, some users find the ads intrusive and disruptive, particularly when they interfere with accessing critical information. Some users mention seeing "sketchy" ads.
  • Impact: Decreases user satisfaction and may prompt users to seek alternative apps.
• Inaccurate Time Reporting:
  • Several users report the app displaying incorrect times for earthquake events.
  • Impact: Decreases user trust in the accuracy of the app's data.
• Missed Events:
  • The app occasionally fails to report significant earthquakes, even when they occur within the user's specified region and magnitude range.
  • Impact: Undermines the app's credibility as a reliable earthquake monitoring tool.

Frequently Requested Features

• More Granular Location Control:
  • Users want the ability to specify smaller geographic areas (e.g., counties, custom radii) for notifications, rather than just states or "nearby."
• Multiple Location Monitoring:
  • Many users desire the ability to monitor earthquake activity in multiple locations simultaneously (e.g., their current location, the location of family members).
• Tsunami Alerts:
  • Users in coastal areas are requesting integrated tsunami alerts.
• Fault Line Display:
  • Some users would like the option to display fault lines on the map for better context.
• Customizable Notification Sounds:
  • Users want more options for notification sounds.
• Historical Data Retention:
  • Users are asking for a longer period for past occurrences.
• Magnitude-Based Color Coding:
  • Users want the map markers to be color-coded by magnitude for easier identification of significant events.
• Duration of Quake:
  • Users want information on the duration of the earthquake.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

• Timely Alerts (in some cases): Many users praise the app for providing quick notifications of earthquakes, sometimes even before other sources.
• Ease of Use: The app is generally considered simple and easy to navigate.
• Comprehensive Information: Users appreciate the detailed information provided about each earthquake, including location, magnitude, depth, and distance.
• Customization Options: The ability to customize notification settings (magnitude, location) is a valued feature.
• Global Coverage: The app's ability to track earthquakes worldwide is appreciated by users with international connections.
• Reliability (for some users): Some users have relied on the app for years and find it consistently reliable.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

• High Priority:
  • Fix Location-Based Notification Accuracy: Investigate and resolve the issue of users receiving alerts for earthquakes outside their specified region. This is a critical flaw that undermines the app's core functionality.
  • Reduce Alert Delays: Optimize the notification system to minimize delays in reporting earthquakes. Explore using faster data sources or improving the app's processing speed.
  • Address Settings Persistence Issues: Ensure that user preferences for location, magnitude, and other settings are consistently saved and applied.
• Medium Priority:
  • Implement More Granular Location Control: Allow users to specify smaller geographic areas (e.g., counties, custom radii) for notifications.
  • Introduce Multiple Location Monitoring: Enable users to monitor earthquake activity in multiple locations simultaneously.
  • Improve Ad Experience: Reduce the intrusiveness of ads or offer a more affordable ad-free option.
  • Improve Time Accuracy: Ensure the app displays correct times for earthquake events.
• Low Priority:
  • Add Tsunami Alerts: Integrate tsunami alerts for users in coastal areas.
  • Implement Fault Line Display: Provide an option to display fault lines on the map.
  • Offer Customizable Notification Sounds: Add more options for notification sounds.
  • Increase Historical Data Retention: Allow users to access earthquake data for a longer period.
  • Magnitude-Based Color Coding: Implement color-coded map markers based on earthquake magnitude.
  • Duration of Quake: Provide information on the duration of the earthquake.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

• Hyper-Local Earthquake Prediction: Develop an app that combines earthquake data with machine learning to provide highly localized, short-term earthquake predictions (even if probabilistic).
• Personalized Earthquake Preparedness Platform: Create an app that provides personalized earthquake preparedness recommendations based on the user's location, building type, and family situation.
• Community-Based Earthquake Reporting: Build an app that allows users to report their experiences during earthquakes, creating a real-time, crowdsourced map of shaking intensity and damage.

Trends and Observations

• Language Preferences: A significant number of reviews are written in Spanish, indicating a strong user base in Spanish-speaking regions.
• Feature Request Consistency: The requests for more granular location control and multiple location monitoring are recurring themes, suggesting a strong unmet need.
• Time Sensitivity: Users are highly sensitive to alert delays, emphasizing the importance of real-time information in an earthquake context.
• Puerto Rico Focus: Many reviews mention Puerto Rico, particularly in relation to earthquake swarms, indicating a dedicated user base in that region.
• Negative reviews often cite specific events that the app missed or reported incorrectly.

Conclusion

"My Earthquake Alerts & Feed" is a valuable app for many users, but its potential is limited by accuracy and customization issues. Addressing the prioritized action recommendations, particularly those related to location accuracy and alert delays, will significantly improve user satisfaction and strengthen the app's position in the market. Further, consider the Spanish-speaking user base when planning new features or marketing efforts.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-earthquake-alerts-feed/id975709372?uo=2