This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
As part of a recent operating system update, a Covid-19 tracing software tool has been added to the settings of both Android phones and iPhones.
The 'exposure notification' tool is switched off by default and is not a tracing app itself, but rather a feature that enables approved apps to run in the background while still using Bluetooth.
This allows the app to measure the distance between two handsets and alert the phone owner if someone near them later tests positive for Covid-19.
Currently, there is no available contact-tracing app in the UK, but this new tool is expected to be used by approved developers to build apps that can warn of proximity to infected individuals.
According to computer scientist Prof Alan Woodward of Surrey University, 'only apps approved by Google and Apple will be included in their app stores where they try to make use of this facility.'
The update has caused some confusion, with people querying the new addition to their handsets on social media.
On iPhones, the tool can be found in the settings app, via the privacy menu and then health sub-section. On Android phones, it's in the Google (services and preferences) section of the settings menu.
image: BBC
