The COVID-19 Sensor, Installed by Apple and Google?

There have been several reports about Google and Apple installing some type of sensor for the infamous COVID-19 through the smartphones they have released. And to end the long wait — the time is finally here! In fact, if you’re not aware, you already have it in your phone.

So how do you see the COVID-19 sensor? And what is it actually? How does this COVID-19 exposure sensor help people, like you and me?

COVID-19 sensor, installed on our phones
This image was taken from Tech Crunch | TechCrunch.com

What is the COVID-19 Sensor?

In a previous article, we somehow introduced to discuss what both tech giant companies planned on doing. In that article, we detailed that both Apple and Google had their plans of setting up a notification or an alert system for COVID-19.

Their message to the public, is that the COVID-19 sensor, or the exposure sensor has already been installed in all iPhone and Android devices. Their rollout was a one big shot type of deal.

To give you a bit of a background, the exposure sensor can help people track the people infected with the virus through the Bluetooth function of smartphones. Whether you’ve been checking your phone thoroughly, or if you’re not, you would be able to see it.

Several people have reported that the saw it in their accounts earlier this week and we can’t just help but report it.

New App on Your Phone?

Contrary to popular belief, the tech companies haven’t installed anything else besides this notification function. It can be both seen on Android smartphones and in iPhones and it’s present and functional to everyone.

Upon turning it on, on both types of phones (Android and iPhone), it has a message that says “to turn COVID-19 exposure notifications, install or finish setting up a participating app.”

Using the COVID-19 Exposure Notification

So you want to be safer by utilizing the exposure notification? As per Google, you would need the app from your region’s government public health authority. Not sure what this app is? Check with your country’s local or national government. The steps are as follows:

  1. Download the app that you need to use (depending on your government);
  2. Turn your phone’s Bluetooth Function ON; 
  3. Turn your phone’s Location Setting ON. 

How you do it for Apple iPhones:

  1. Go to your iPhone’s Settings;
  2. Scroll down and look for Privacy; 
  3. Under Privacy, locate and hit on the Health category. It shall show you “COVID-19 Exposure Logging.”

As of this moment, it’s still not functioning but it will eventually be effective. In Apple’s notification, it states the alert:

When enabled, iPhone can exchange random IDs with other devices using Bluetooth. This enables an app to notify you if you may have been exposed to COVID-19. Exposure Logging cannot access any data in, or add any data to the Health App.

The feature utilizes Bluetooth, which, overall helps everyone in the current situation we are in. it helps you alert people who have COVID-19; and also, you can declare and say that you, yourself have the disease.

What to do if you have COVID-19?

So through the COVID-19 Sensor, what can you do in your part? Based on the instructions given and to contribute to the society, if you have COVID-19; the best steps that you can take would include:

  1. In the public health app, you may and can report yourself having the infamous COVID-19;
  2. Within the app, you can share your random IDs
  3. Through the app, it can check if the random IDs stores on other people’s devices. Meaning, you’ll get the chance to see and learn who you interacted with.

Overall, the COVID-19 sensor would alert people who they came in contact with; and it’s going to help notify other people with the situation they are in now. It’s a whole new level of contact-tracing and it’s what’s needed for the problems and the condition that our country and our society is in.

What do you think about the COVID-19 exposure sensor function that has been installed on all our phones? If you’re not yet familiar with it, go to your phone and have a look! You will see that it’s there, installed — and we are just waiting for the centralized app that the Philippine government will provide to us.

Hopefully, this plan will be deemed to be effective in helping and in aiding us deal with the virus.

Source: Google Support | Apple Support

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