The COVID Radar app, a tool created for the prevention of COVID-19 which alerts the user if he has been in contact with people with a positive diagnosis.
The seemingly simple use of the application can cause many not to use it correctly, so in this guide we will explain how can you know if your COVID Radar app is working properly.
Developed by the Secretary of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence, the app is based on the tracking system developed by Google and Apple for Android and iOS.
In order for this system to function properly, i mobile phones must meet a number of requirements which we will talk about below.
Note that if you don't check these details, it is possible that the COVID Radar app is not working well and do not warning correctly if you have been in contact with someone with a positive diagnosis.
You need to pay attention to these details to know if your RadarCOVID app is working properly.
Bluetooth and GPS always on
Google and Apple's tracking system is based on communication between mobile devices that are located in less than 2 meters away for at least 15 minutes.
If so, and using low-energy Bluetooth transmission, both phones they will share a random alphanumeric code which will identify each user.
Therefore, if one of these people reports a positive diagnosis in the COVID Radar app, they are tasked with notify users who have been in contact with it in the last 14 days via a notification.
As we can see, the app protocol is mainly based on using the Bluetooth, so it is vital that you has always activated it so that the COVID Radar app can exchange codes with the apps of the people you have been in contact with. near.
Also, in the Android version, it is necessary also always have geolocation or GPS activated for COVID Radar to work properly.
As reported on Twitter by the Secretary of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence, Radar COVID does not use GPS in any way, but Android is designed in such a way that it and Bluetooth must be turned on together.
Turn on COVID-19 exposure notifications
It is possible that you have activated Bluetooth and COVID Radar exchange codes, but you still do not receive any information about your positively diagnosed contact.
To do this, it is necessary activate the setting "Notifications of exposure to COVID-19" if you didn't do it when first starting the app.
This is a function that allows the mobile phone to store the IDs of the people you have been in contact with and of notify you if any of them have indicated they have the virus.
To check if you have activated it on your Android phone, go to Settings> Google.
In the Services section you can check that there is an option called "COVID-19 exposure notifications", click on it and check that the box above is activated.
Don't worry about enabling this feature on your mobile, Google isn't spying on you.
This is the COVID Radar app interface
Check the contact's update date
The contact update date must be recent to ensure that you have not been at risk in the last few days.
When you open the app, you will see that COVID Radar informs you about the your risk level in a small green box. Click on it for more information, including the date it was last updated.
As reported by Business Insider, that date must match the current day, as that's the date your app has received the list of positive codes from the central server last time to check if any of them have been in contact with you.
Specifically, the COVID Radar app receives the list of positive codes from central server twice daily. Remember, the update date must always be recent.
Don't be frightened by positive test codes
If you were among the first to install the COVID Radar app on your mobile, before mid-August 2020, you will see that the your mobile phone stores positive codes prior to that date.
You can check this by going to Settings> Google> COVID-19 Exposure Notifications> Exposure Controls.
Don't be scared when you see them, as they are positive test codes entered by the administration of your autonomous community to verify that the app worked correctly.
In any case, if the COVID Radar application has not notified you of any positives to date - and as long as you meet the above requirements - you shouldn't worry when you see that list of codes prior to mid-August.
Finally, before wrapping up this COVID Radar guide, remember that the app should always be open in the background and without optimizations regarding battery usage, so that this does not limit any of its functions.
From the Applications and Battery menus of your phone you can configure these aspects to now confirm that the COVID Radar app works properly when it comes to preventing COVID-19.
