COVID19 Tracking App - would you use one?

[BobL]

COVID tracker app is out but according to those who have downloaded it and tried to use it it is currently not possible to register the users phone numbers.

Another thing I mentioned in another thread is that on iPhones it only works if the mobile is unlocked because WiFi is disabled when the mobile is locked. Given that ~45% of mobiles in Oz are iPhones that basically wipes out 45% of users.

I guess it's about what we come to expect?

{EDIT}
Yeah sorry that should be Bluetooth.
App was made available at midday butt registration is not available until later today.

Also iPhone users are some 55% of all mobiles in Australia.
The instructions for iPhone users are you have to leave your phone unlocked at all times for the app to work.. Not very happy about that

[Fuzzie]

Doesn't the app rely on Bluetooth not WiFi? Locked (Android) phones still register by BT in cars, maybe not Iphones?

[grantoboy]

Doesn't the app rely on Bluetooth not WiFi? Locked (Android) phones still register by BT in cars, maybe not Iphones?

The Bluetooth would need to connect to something, wifi and cellular would allow it to "phone home" to keep your locations updated.

I would assume on an iPhone the app would just update your location once the phone is unlocked.

Also it may run in the background with the gps but only update when you unlock (sends your locations that it has cached)

I use tracking apps for my home automation system and motorbike riding but we are all on Android and have no issues.

[code4pay]

The Bluetooth would need to connect to something, wifi and cellular would allow it to "phone home" to keep your locations updated.

I would assume on an iPhone the app would just update your location once the phone is unlocked.

Also it may run in the background with the gps but only update when you unlock (sends your locations that it has cached)

I use tracking apps for my home automation system and motorbike riding but we are all on Android and have no issues.

I don't think it needs your location, your blue tooth is always pinging to see if it can connect to a device. The other phones see the ping and store the unique identifier. Now if the other phones user gets covid they can list all the unique blue tooth it has seen in a certain time period. The apps must register the blue tooth unique id to username somewhere so all those users can then be contacted.

Sent from my SM-A505YN using Tapatalk

[Fuzzie]

I admit I am just going by what I have understood by a cursory reading of what has been said about the app in the media. The app is not tracking where you have been just who you have been in proximity with. There is no need to gather any location information. If the app is just pinging surrounding bluetooth devices to see if it gets a reply then it logs the id of the bluetooth device. Later on if the medical people need to ascertain who you have been near to trace covid19 contacts they would download the history from your phone and the bluetooth contacts would be extracted and matched up to a database of other peoples phones who have also downloaded the app. Nobody knows who those people are without the database of registered users or indeed where you were when you were near them.

[grantoboy]

I don't think it needs your location, your blue tooth is always pinging to see if it can connect to a device. The other phones see the ping and store the unique identifier. Now if the other phones user gets covid they can list all the unique blue tooth it has seen in a certain time period. The apps must register the blue tooth unique id to username somewhere so all those users can then be contacted.

Sent from my SM-A505YN using Tapatalk

Never looked at it this way.

So the app makes my Bluetooth constantly broadcast, this will have a negative effect on the battery life.

I can't seem to find it in the app store to see what permissions it require.

[BobL]

Yeah there's no time or location data collected just phone numbers.

I was thinking of using the app but I'm not prepared to leave my phone unlocked all the time. Besides, apart from taking the dogs down the park every morning and sitting in the middle of 10 empty acres while throwing the ball for the dogs, SWMBO won't let me go into places like shops with strangers in them.

[grantoboy]

Found it and you are correct it is Bluetooth only.

There goes tho people who have Bluetooth turned off

[grantoboy]

Just tried to sign up but can't get pasted the register phone number screen for my activation pin.

Why doesn't our government learn

[BobL]

Never looked at it this way.

So the app makes my Bluetooth constantly broadcast, this will have a negative effect on the battery life.

Not constantly - it very briefly (seconds) sniffs for nearby users periodically eg every few minutes and if it encounters the same phone number within 15 minutes period it records it.

I can't seem to find it in the app store to see what permissions it require.

Search for COVIDsafe - its there but you can't register just yet.

[BobL]

Registration is opening at 6pm EST.

[grantoboy]

Registration is opening at 6pm EST.

Cheers will give it another go after 6

[markharrison]

We have installed it on our phones.

I have read the privacy statement in full. Based on the disclosed information, I have a very good understanding of how it works and I am comfortable with the disclosed method. The government has said that this will be open-sourced and if they follow through on that, I will be looking closely at it to see if it is what is says on the tin.

Until that is released, I will also be following up with my local MP to ensure that open-sourcing is followed through on.

As I said in my earlier post; I have solid reasons for not trusting this government on their past performance (robo-debt, for one!) and I am sure there are many others that have similar concerns. If their goto move wasn't always the mean'n'tricky one, this would have been easier to swallow.

Still, I am just going to suck it up and trust them this much. If it turns out in the future they were not worthy of my trust; that is on them. In the meantime without a viable medical solution; this is the best we can do.

[markharrison]

Never looked at it this way.

So the app makes my Bluetooth constantly broadcast, this will have a negative effect on the battery life.

I can't seem to find it in the app store to see what permissions it require.

As I understand this; it uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) which is what the name implies. This makes sense to me. You are not interested in long range so BLE would be the best tool for this.

All iPhones have supported BLE since the iPhone 4s. Android phones probably from a similar period but that would depend on vendor and model.

I will have a better idea of energy usage in 24 hours.

[grantoboy]

Appears it does a bluetooth search/ping every set unknown interval (under 15mins I am assuming) This will have a better battery life than a constant search but will still have an effect.

My phone can handle two bluetooth connections at once, wonder how it will handle this if I am using both channels on connected device already (ie my watch and headphones)