# Which emergency apps should you install in Taiwan?

Phones in Taiwan get emergency alerts without an app. The Ministry of National Defense recommends two government apps, and both can find shelters and report emergencies. Here’s how they compare with Kuku 防災助手.

Published: 2026-09-30 · Last updated: 2026-09-30 · Shelter data: September 2026 edition, 98,028 shelters

You don’t need an app to get emergency alerts in Taiwan. Your phone receives them on its own. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense recommends two government apps: 警政服務 (Police Services) and 消防防災e點通 (Readiness TW e-APP). Both can find shelters and report emergencies. Kuku 防災助手 is our offline app, and this page also covers what it can’t do.

## Do I need an app to get alerts?

No. Phones in Taiwan get the Public Warning System’s cell broadcast alerts (messages sent from cell towers to every phone in an area) without any app. There are three main types:

  - National-level alerts (國家級警報): earthquake early warnings and air raid alerts. You can’t turn these off.

  - Emergency alerts (緊急警報): evacuation orders, for example. You can turn these off.

  - Alert notifications (警訊通知): severe thunderstorms or reservoir releases, for example. You can turn these off.

The messages include English. Air raid alerts come with a link to the National Police Agency’s air raid shelter site.

Make sure the last two types are on. On iPhone, open Settings, tap Notifications, and scroll down to Government Alerts. On Android, the menu varies by brand, so search Settings for “emergency alerts”.

For earthquake reports and tsunami information, you can also install the Central Weather Administration’s 中央氣象署E - 地震測報 app. Its App Store listing includes English.

## What do the two government apps do?

The Ministry of National Defense’s All-out Defense Mobilization Agency recommends both on its National Public Safety Guide site. Both are free, and both receive real-time alerts.

### 警政服務 (National Police Agency)

Its air raid shelter section (防空避難專區) finds shelters near you and navigates to the one you pick. Its reporting section offers 110 by phone call, text message, and video call.

The shelter section needs an internet connection. The agency suggests saving screenshots or a Google Maps offline map ahead of time, so you can still check when the network is down. The web version at adr.npa.gov.tw has English instructions.

Download: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/tw/app/%E8%AD%A6%E6%94%BF%E6%9C%8D%E5%8B%99/id544121843), [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tw.gov.npa.callservice).

### 消防防災e點通 (National Fire Agency)

The English App Store lists it as Readiness TW e-APP. It can translate alert messages into 16 foreign languages, including English, Japanese, and Korean. It pushes warnings for hazards such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and debris flows, with 21 types you can subscribe to. During an air raid, it pushes the alert and shows the nearest five air raid shelters. You can plan a route there, or use AR navigation (directions laid over your camera view).

Its map also shows evacuation shelters, first-aid stations, and supply distribution points. Its 119 reporting sends your location to the fire department, and people who are deaf or can’t speak can report by text. It also has a family disaster card and a go-bag checklist.

You need to download the offline map in the app first. The fire agency says the map layers are updated from time to time, so download them again before you rely on them.

Download: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/tw/app/%E6%B6%88%E9%98%B2%E9%98%B2%E7%81%BDe%E9%BB%9E%E9%80%9A/id1500403641), [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nfa.report).

## How do the three apps compare?

| Feature | 警政服務 | 消防防災e點通 | Kuku 防災助手 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Made by | National Police Agency | National Fire Agency | Independent developer |
| Alerts | Yes | Yes, 21 hazard types | No |
| Air raid shelters | Yes, nationwide | Yes, nearest five | Yes, all 22 areas |
| Without internet | Screenshots advised | Download offline map | Shelters, routes built in |
| Reporting | 110 call, text, video | 119 with location, text | 119 call button, no location |
| Checklist | — | Go-bag checklist | 1 day free, 3+ days paid |
| Languages | Chinese, English | Alerts in 16 languages | Chinese, EN, JA, KO |
| Price | Free | Free | Free, Plus extra |

“—” means neither the App Store listing nor the official pages mention it. Languages for 警政服務 and Kuku are as listed on the App Store. For 消防防災e點通, they follow the National Fire Agency’s description.

## What can Kuku do, and what can’t it?

Kuku puts the address, floor, and capacity of 98,028 air raid shelters across all 22 cities and counties on your phone. Even in airplane mode, it finds the nearest one and plans a walking route.

AEDs, hospitals, and police and fire stations are on the same map. There’s also a medical card, large-text help cards, SOS, and a CPR rhythm guide. The interface comes in Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean, and the foreign-language versions add an “I don’t speak Chinese” card. Shelter names and addresses stay in Chinese, so they match the signs. You don’t need an account, and your location isn’t uploaded.

The one-day checklist is free. Checklists for three days or longer, plus stock and expiry tracking, come with a one-time Plus purchase.

What Kuku can’t do:

  - It can’t receive alerts or push disaster updates.

  - It can’t report emergencies. Its 119 button just opens your phone’s dialer and doesn’t send your location.

  - It isn’t a government service. In an emergency, follow official alerts and instructions on site.

## Which ones should I install?

You can use all three together. Each one covers something different:

  - Alerts: built into your phone. Just make sure they’re on.

  - Hazard warnings, evacuation shelters, and 119 with your location: 消防防災e點通.

  - The air raid shelter section and 110 video reporting: 警政服務.

  - Finding shelters without internet, the medical card, and large-text help cards: Kuku 防災助手.

Once they’re installed, look up the shelters near your home on a normal day. [Where can I find a bomb shelter near me in Taiwan?](https://kuku.best/en/find-shelter/) shows how.

## What is this page based on?

It draws on these pages in Chinese: the Ministry of National Defense’s [National Public Safety Guide](https://prepare.mnd.gov.tw/), the Ministry of the Interior’s [April 2, 2025 announcement](https://www.moi.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=4&s=326877) on the shelter section in 警政服務, the National Police Agency’s [air raid shelter site](https://adr.npa.gov.tw/), the National Fire Agency’s [feature guide for 消防防災e點通](https://www.nfa.gov.tw/cht/index.php?code=list&ids=1520), and the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction’s [explainer on cell broadcast alerts](https://www.ncdr.nat.gov.tw/NCDR-Topic/2023/Dec/index.html). We also used Apple’s [support page on government alerts](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102516).

App features, languages, and prices were checked against the App Store pages for [警政服務](https://apps.apple.com/tw/app/%E8%AD%A6%E6%94%BF%E6%9C%8D%E5%8B%99/id544121843), [消防防災e點通](https://apps.apple.com/tw/app/%E6%B6%88%E9%98%B2%E9%98%B2%E7%81%BDe%E9%BB%9E%E9%80%9A/id1500403641), and [中央氣象署E - 地震測報](https://apps.apple.com/tw/app/%E4%B8%AD%E5%A4%AE%E6%B0%A3%E8%B1%A1%E7%BD%B2e-%E5%9C%B0%E9%9C%87%E6%B8%AC%E5%A0%B1/id1124906287).

Apps change with updates, so the latest version is what counts. We last checked this page in September 2026.

## Please note

Kuku 防災助手 is not a government service. In an emergency, follow government alerts and instructions on site.

Kuku 防災助手 is an independently developed offline lookup tool. It can’t receive or push alerts. The data is for reference only. A shelter may have changed or may not be open, so check conditions on site before you set out. For a fire, an injury, or a crime, call 119 or 110.

## Related reading

- [What is Taiwan’s Urban Resilience Exercise? What should I do when the siren sounds?](https://kuku.best/en/air-raid-drill/)
- [Where can I find a bomb shelter near me in Taiwan?](https://kuku.best/en/find-shelter/)
- [What should go in an emergency go-bag in Taiwan?](https://kuku.best/en/go-bag/)
- [Can you go into an air-raid shelter on a normal day?](https://kuku.best/en/shelter-access/)
- [How many air-raid shelters does each Taiwan city and county have? (September 2026 edition)](https://kuku.best/en/shelters-by-county/)
- [FAQ on the home page](https://kuku.best/en/#faq)

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HTML: https://kuku.best/en/disaster-apps/