Do you mean for an iPhone ‘Auto Lock’. That is the setting that returns the phone to the lock screen. Low power mode is different and can be turned off in ‘Settings-Battery’. I get 2-3 days out of a full charge on an iPhone 8 with Low Power Mode ‘off’.
When I go out and spend time near others I make sure the COVIDsafe App is displaying on the screen and leave it in that state. When left on top the App appears to prevent the Auto Lock operating. You can manually lock the screen.
This is the one acknowledged operating issue with the iPhone that creates the most confusion. Apple could very simply put in place a solution with an OS upgrade specific to the App. Instead Apple is off with Google trying to create their own products. There is a separate community topic as to whether Google etc put consumer privacy ahead of corporate benefit. No need to drag that one out in this topic.
How do we know Apple could fix the one issue? Every time I open the iPad if there is no local wifi network it somehow discovers my iPhone and offers to connect automatically to the iPhone to use it as a hot spot. Even when the iPhone ‘Allow to Join’ is turned off and the iPhone screen is locked, it will turn the iPhone remotely to provide a ‘Hot Spot’. Apple could give COVIDsafe permission to run in the background on the iPhone that ensures Bluetooth functions reliably for the App, even if the screen is locked or other Apps in use.
There is no such advice required for Android based phones.
P.S.
We don’t worry about whether the Covidsafe App is active when not out around other people. We know by memory and individually who has been in or to our home and might be contacts over the past few weeks. Until Apple step up to do the right thing for the App, iPhone users do need to remember to check the App is active and on top when heading out and about. Not a need with Android.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll believes large crowds in clear defiance of social distancing rules at Burleigh Hill on the Gold Coast could put the state’s newly-relaxed lockdown measures at risk.
“Please don’t do that again this afternoon, there will be more police out,” Commissioner Carroll told Today.
It’s a public holiday across the state today, with officers on the lookout for those breaking the rules.
“We are asking people to stay apart,” she said.
“If an area is very busy, please stay away from there so we can maintain that social distancing.”
In total, 146 fines were handed out on the weekend for “reckless and terrible behaviour”, she said.
Those fines included seven people a party at an Airbnb at Carrara and a further 18 people the next night.
While in Brisbane, police had to break up a balcony party with 10 guests.
“Those people are clearly not doing the right thing,” Comm. Carroll said.
Mark_m, to answer your question, yes, I do mean low power mode. It is a function of low power mode that Auto Lock occurs occurs after 30 seconds.
And to those who worry about battery drain when bluetooth is on and the app is active: if it is true that the app will run correctly in low power mode, the you can leave the app open all the time, based on my experience. I have an iPhone SE, which is a small phone and therefore small battery. If I don’t use the phone for much else it is 2-3 days before the battery needs charging.
There is a separate topic for sharing concerns about the App. The same content has been previously posted for discussion in that topic.
There are many different views about how best to improve our ability to identify potentially at risk contacts. No one method can deliver a total solution. COVIDsafe is one more tool. And yes it is In the process of being rolled out.
There has been approx 5million downloads of the current App already.
I’m assuming you are yet to download and install the App.
The Choice Community has a broad range of interests, and sometimes view points. It can help to read the first few posts in any topic to get a better idea of the topic and intent.
The Guardian has published an updated overview on the COVIDsafe App. It answers many of the basic questions potential users may have.
The Guardian also addresses a number of misconceptions concerning the Aust Govt COVIDsafe App.
P.S. @SueW indicated there is an update available for the App for IOS from version 1.0 to 1.1 This installed in under one minute for both our iPhones.
Is it the same for Android users?
Well, since the latest update I’m leaning towards uninstalling it.
It used to work on my Android fine without being granted a perm to perform actions that use more battery. Since the update it refused to work until granted that permission, and since granting the permission my phone’s gone from 3 hours charge time to still charging after 8 hours ( I leave it running 24/7)
So there is an Android update.
Is it a one off? Basic fault identification, you can shut the App down while at home, restart the phone and see if the phone behaves as normal without the App.
There was some recent advice users could request or advise of issues by going to the little help icon on the App main screen. The option to “Report an issue” appears on the top right of the screen. You do need to provide an email for a reply.
There has been some criticism that the effectiveness of the App is limited by the uptake. The more who can, the greater the usefulness as a tool to help identify possible cases in any future outbreaks.
One way to push the odds more favourably is where individual groups make a concerted effort to take up the App. To have as many members as possible in a group using the App skews the probability to their benefit. At 80% up take in a group vs 40% in the community the effectiveness of COVIDsafe as a tool is doubled for that group.
One group might be our politicians and their regular staff. A more important group the health care workers at every hospital, aged care facility etc.
It would be reassuring to also know that health care staff and support workers have a similar high take up rate. It would be reassuring if their employers or the government and mobile providers offered some assistance for those who have unsuitable (older mobiles) and choose to use the App.
It is interesting to see ‘the party’ that appears to have discipline (or a common opinion?) to not download the app. 9 no, 1 yes if I counted correctly.
My partner & I downloaded in the first 24 hours & have it set to auto-update. Our android mobiles are 3-5 years old on android v10&7. Battery usage was my biggest concern. I’ve been monitoring battery usage daily on my phone and every second on the other. Battery usage hasn’t been an issue - varies from not enough to list to 1% over 24 hours. No bugs surfaced, no interruptions or anything negative.
So far so good.
If you normally have apps running in the background and blutooth always on (like many people do), then the extra resources used by the app will be comparably small. If one runs their phone lighly (no background app and Bluetooth etc off), then one may notice more of a difference…greater battery use than usual.
The State Governments and Territories have accepted the terms and conditions of access to individual user contact data, by their no instead Health Departments Officers.
Any upload of the contact data collected on each device by the COVIDsafe App is not automatic. It requires the user of a device to agree to provide the data to initiate upload to the respective state health department.
Hopefully it will never be needed to be used for contact tracing notifications due to the virus petering out, but…
It will be interesting to see how it works when the first individual with a confirmed test and having app installed is asked to upload data…data analysed and notification given.
The premise of its functionality is sound, but proof will be in the puddin’.
This will be the real test and if successful, some doomsday reporters and so called ‘experts’ may have egg on their faces.
If it doesn’t work as planned, egg may end up somewhere else.
Now we just have to wait and see. I dont expect to get notifications of anything because I am into full avoidance at the moment. Heard reports of my local Coles being awash with people not social distancing and not obeying the general sense of using sanitiser which is still being provided. There has been enough information out there not to relax… and then they decide pubs and clubs can open again for dining (as if thats going to be a success… local pub bistro does not have suitable separation from the bar, and because its such a popular place (the food is really good) there’s always a big queue…
The test will come if or when we see unexpected clusters arise where there is no immediately obvious connection. Shutting down whole communities and regions may prove the only response if tracing fails to pick up the source/s early.
The App may provide that extra upfront detail to assist with tracing. It’s usefulness is very dependent on take up within the community most involved.
It’s worth considering Japan had a good early response in limiting the virus. Customary behaviour plus targeted conventional manual contact tracing was thought to be sufficient. It worked for a while, in a difficult political environment, before it too got away and forced strict isolation practices. Japan is also intent on implementing digital contact tracing.
A mobile phone app is no substitute for contact tracing.
People who don’t have mobile phones; people in areas that don’t have coverage for registration, people whose iPhone is incompatible because app won’t work in ‘background’, people whose phone does not support the new Bluetooth standard that allows ‘background’.
Rather like there is no subsitute for hand washing.
It’s another tool as part of contact tracing. Manual tracing is slow and has limitations. Some of those the App sets out to improve on. The App does not location trace or use GPS.
It’s not a reason to stop doing any of the other precautions or actions. For some having the App persistently on their device may be the reminder needed to continue to do the right thing. The community continues to be at risk from COVID-19. We have done very well so far.
The App is provided as a tool, and just one part of the overall action plan to limit the damage of COVID-19, to the community.
If you have down loaded and installed the App there is a handy help screen accessible from the front screen.
It clarifies many items of concern including the purpose in assisting with contact tracing,
