Android contact tracing will be rolled out via Google Play
A few days back, Apple and Google announced a joint contact tracing system to alert their customers about possible contact with a COVID-19-infected patient. The capability is set to be built across billions of Android and iOS devices, and now, Google has provided insight into how that's going to happen, at least on its side. Here's all about it.
First, a quick recap on the tracing system
The contact tracing system, when completed, will use Bluetooth to exchange unique codes between closely-located iOS/Android devices. So, when a person tests positive for COVID-19, they can submit their code to a centralized database of confirmed cases, allowing the system to scan it against the list of codes gathered on the device-level and find/alert all those who had come in contact with them.
Roll-out will be in two phases
Google and Apple say that their cross-platform tracing system will be rolled out in two phases. The first phase will make it available through an API, which government health agencies can use in their apps starting mid-May. Meanwhile, the second phase will mark the introduction of this feature at the broader OS level in the coming months.
Google says it will use Play Services for roll-out
Now, speaking on this roll-out, Google has confirmed that it will use Play Services, instead of full OS update, to make the tracing system available. Play Services are updated automatically in the background, which means more Android users will receive the feature using this technique. It will also help older Android phones, going all the way back to Android 6.0, receive the critical functionality.
Play Services will be used for both phases
Google added in the statement that Play Services will be used in both phases of implementing the tracing system. Now, while this makes a better option than mainstream Android updates (which can often be delayed by OEMs), it also misses a large batch of Android users - those in China and those using phones built by US-banned Huawei.
However, Chinese Android users don't need to worry
To help Huawei's customers and all others who are using Android in China, Google will be releasing a framework, which leading Chinese manufacturers can use to create a similar tracing system. It would be openly available, leaving the decision to use the framework (or not) to the companies in question and the government of China.
