After the surprise announcement of the partnership between Apple and Google to develop a system for tracking COVID-19 , some questions remained in the air, especially on Android and its known version fragmentation. Google clarified that the process of installing the resources for the system will happen in a transparent manner, without requiring the development of a traditional system update.
The announcement was made by a company representative in an online interview. Google will use Play Services to install the tracking features, which eliminates the bureaucracy to provide a complete update to each device, a process that involves testing manufacturers and operators for certification.
The use of Google Play Services will allow even devices that are no longer supported by manufacturers to receive the tracking feature, provided they use Android 6 (Marshmallow) or higher.
For Android phones that do not use Play Services, as is the case with most devices sold in the Chinese market, Google plans to offer the tools for local manufacturers to integrate the same system into their notebooks.
Bluetooth tracking
Apple and Google are not developing an application itself, but the resources necessary for them to work. The plan of the companies is to provide technologies compatible with each other that use the Bluetooth feature of the devices.
The function will register which cell phones were close to each other and exchange information creating a network of contacts in an anonymous and decentralized way. If one of the links voluntarily reports that he was diagnosed with the disease, cell phones that were nearby will receive a notification.
The feature will be available on iOS and Android in the coming months and can be used only by official apps from health authorities. Despite the mandatory installation, the use of the feature will depend on the user's consent, according to Apple and Google.
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