Track and trace app and iOS 14 install?

[NickFitz]

So if I turned off Bluetooth (which I did, because it kills my battery) it's useless if I'm not in a premises with a QR code on display?

The QR code stuff is a supplementary feature; the primary purpose of the app is to use Bluetooth's low power mode to keep track of your device's proximity to other devices, on the assumption that this correlates closely with proximity to the devices' owners, and it can therefore be determined who has been in proximity to a person who tests positive.

I don't know if turning off Bluetooth also disables the low power mode, but if it does, then most of the potential benefit of the app is lost to you, and to those strangers who have been near you should you become infected.

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

So if I turned off Bluetooth (which I did, because it kills my battery) it's useless if I'm not in a premises with a QR code on display?

As above it uses BT LE and it shouldn’t kill your battery. On mine it’s been using 1% every day and I’m on 84% battery health.

[_V_]

Since the release of iOS 5 (Q4 2011), Windows Phone 8.1 (Q3 2014), BlackBerry 10 (Q1 2013), and Android Jelly Bean (4.3 - Q3 2012), mobile phone operating systems have supported a further subset of Bluetooth protocols known as Bluetooth Low Energy ("Bluetooth LE"). Although Bluetooth and Bluetooth LE are not directly compatible with each other, i.e. they have different rules about how to communicate, most modern Bluetooth chips are designed to talk both "Classic" and "LE" as they share a frequency range, meaning they can also share an antenna.

When the Covid-19 tracking app is installed Bluetooth LE is enabled and you can't turn it off. You can turn off Classic Bluetooth but not the LE tracking version built into the chipset.

[Mordac]

It does do proximity checking. They considered making everybody wear a QR code but that turned out to be impractical, so it uses Bluetooth.

And apparently the reason for not having checkout is that user testing suggested many people wouldn't bother or wouldn't remember, rendering the data gathered of limited value. And it can't tell when you've left for home because that would require giving the app access to your phone's location services, which was considered too much of a privacy problem.

But if you sit near a complete stranger (who also has the app) on the train for half an hour, and that person has a positive test a few days later, you'll be alerted that you've been in close proximity with a person who has so tested, though not with any details of who they were.

So if I turned off Bluetooth (which I did, because it kills my battery) it's useless if I'm not in a premises with a QR code on display?

[NickFitz]

The app tells them you 'checked-in' at a certain time, but you can't 'check-out' so the app has no idea when you left. Also it doesn't appear to do any proximity checking (e.g. someone you sat near on a train for half an hour) and you can't tell it when you get home because it only works with a QR code. It's a bit crap, really.

It does do proximity checking. They considered making everybody wear a QR code but that turned out to be impractical, so it uses Bluetooth.

And apparently the reason for not having checkout is that user testing suggested many people wouldn't bother or wouldn't remember, rendering the data gathered of limited value. And it can't tell when you've left for home because that would require giving the app access to your phone's location services, which was considered too much of a privacy problem.

But if you sit near a complete stranger (who also has the app) on the train for half an hour, and that person has a positive test a few days later, you'll be alerted that you've been in close proximity with a person who has so tested, though not with any details of who they were.

[Mordac]

Yeah had to do that for now, would be a lot easier though if I had the app. Hopefully a patch will come for the iphone soon.

The app tells them you 'checked-in' at a certain time, but you can't 'check-out' so the app has no idea when you left. Also it doesn't appear to do any proximity checking (e.g. someone you sat near on a train for half an hour) and you can't tell it when you get home because it only works with a QR code. It's a bit crap, really.

[GregRickshaw]

No point. Just give every restaurant etc you go to your contact details and keep a daily eye on your local press.

Yeah had to do that for now, would be a lot easier though if I had the app. Hopefully a patch will come for the iphone soon.

[SueEllen]

No point. Just give every restaurant etc you go to your contact details and keep a daily eye on your local press.

[GregRickshaw]

Check that you're not out of storage space - particularly if you use WhatsApp or similar communications apps - the media files from them can fill up a phone very quickly

Thank you I have deleted just about everything to make room, there's a few posts on Google but they all lead the same way. Are you on full power (yes), do you have enough storage (yes), are you on WiFi (yes)....

Oh well won't be needed soon as restaurants, bars etc., lock down is coming soon.

[WTFH]

Check that you're not out of storage space - particularly if you use WhatsApp or similar communications apps - the media files from them can fill up a phone very quickly

[SimonMac]

Anyone manged to update their iPhone 6s to ioS 14 (the one released on the 20th Sept 2020).

I need at least 13.5 apparently to download and use the track and trace app.

Seems zero actual solutions on Google.

Yes, no drama what so ever

[GregRickshaw]

Anyone manged to update their iPhone 6s to ioS 14 (the one released on the 20th Sept 2020).

I need at least 13.5 apparently to download and use the track and trace app.

Seems zero actual solutions on Google.