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Covid app now fixed, and there are updates too

  • 30-08-2020 9:54am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭


    It should also now be easier to report errors to the app’s developers and HSE, such as the recent battery drain issue that severely impacted its performance on Android phones.

    While now fixed, the issue may have had a significant impact on the number of users deleting the app.

    The most noticeable change is that the app now gives a more detailed breakdown on the number of cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. This includes a list of the number of hospital and intensive care admissions, discharges and confirmed cases across the country.


    https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/the-covid-tracker-ireland-app-update-battery-issue


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 9,167 ✭✭✭Fr_Dougal


    It’s still a bit of a battery drain, but not as bad as before.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,279 ✭✭✭✭Jim_Hodge


    Still won't load on a slightly dated phone though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 470 ✭✭catrat12


    I have a new i phone and it has exposure logging as well as the COVID app I installed should I be using this also and can anyone tell me what provided and matched key count mean and should I delete the exposure checks as they seem to be doing it every 2 hours


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,103 ✭✭✭plodder


    catrat12 wrote: »
    I have a new i phone and it has exposure logging as well as the COVID app I installed should I be using this also and can anyone tell me what provided and matched key count mean and should I delete the exposure checks as they seem to be doing it every 2 hours
    Matched keys are ones that you have picked up from being close to someone who then reports a positive test and therefore results in a close contact alert to you. Most people will (hopefully) never see any matched keys.

    Provided keys seems to be a change in terminology, but I think it refers to the keys your phone downloads every two hours and are the keys of people who have reported a positive test. The number of those relates to the number of people who have recently reported a positive test anywhere in the country.

    Personally, I wouldn't go deleting anything to do with the app. It only keeps data for 14 days, and I presume it deletes the downloaded data after it does the matching check. Also, when you installed it and set it up, that would have enabled 'exposure logging'. You just need to make sure that Bluetooth is switched on after that I think.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,172 ✭✭✭Jinglejangle69


    This app drained my android which now won't turn on. Phone only months old.

    Had to get a new phone and lost everything.

    Never again.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,862 ✭✭✭un5byh7sqpd2x0


    This app drained my android which now won't turn on. Phone only months old.

    Had to get a new phone and lost everything.

    Never again.

    It had nothing to do with the COVID app, it was a Google Play Services cockup.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,103 ✭✭✭plodder


    I've had trouble in the past with phone batteries getting deep discharged. It was always possible to coax them back to life again. But, if a new phone is bricked by an app in this way, I think I'd be sending the phone back.


  • Registered Users Posts: 460 ✭✭Smegging hell


    Jim_Hodge wrote: »
    Still won't load on a slightly dated phone though.


    Same here.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,167 ✭✭✭Fr_Dougal


    It had nothing to do with the COVID app, it was a Google Play Services cockup.

    It has been documented many times before, it was the Covid app. The HSE even apologised. The app creators updated it. In the article quoted they admit that there was an issue.


  • Registered Users Posts: 826 ✭✭✭DublinCJM


    Anyone know how the reporting on this thing works?

    Myself and my partner both got close contact alerts on Sunday night, within an hour or so of each other.

    HSE rang us both yesterday, and all they would tell my partner was that the contact was Sept 8th.

    When they rang me, they said it was Sept 9th. I queried the time as I thought it would be unusual that we were different days, given that we were both together with our 3 year old, away in Gorey for a few days holiday.

    They told me mine was reported to the HSE as being 02:50 on the 9th. I know for a fact that I was in bed asleep at that time.

    So can there be a delay in the reported times? I assumed the whole principle was that the app logged close contacts at a particular time.

    Only thing I can think of is that while I was asleep in the hotel, with my phone on charge beside the bed, the person in the room next door had their phone beside their bed with only the bedroom wall separating us. They went on to have a positive test, and that's why it was 02:50.

    Any informed views appreciated.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 655 ✭✭✭eusap


    If you go to the settings of your phone and search for Exposure notifications you will see your phone randomly uploads the data to the HSE, it may have been between 18:00 (last upload) - 02:00 (new upload) that you where in contact, where for your wife it may have been 17:00 (last upload) - 23:00 (new upload) the blue tooth keys just handshake and don't record the date/time, its the upload that has the date/time


  • Registered Users Posts: 826 ✭✭✭DublinCJM


    eusap wrote: »
    If you go to the settings of your phone and search for Exposure notifications you will see your phone randomly uploads the data to the HSE, it may have been between 18:00 (last upload) - 02:00 (new upload) that you where in contact, where for your wife it may have been 17:00 (last upload) - 23:00 (new upload) the blue tooth keys just handshake and don't record the date/time, its the upload that has the date/time

    So the 02:50 time the HSE gave me doesn't necessarily exactly reflect the time of the close contact, rather just the time when the close contact alert was notified to HSE?

    Thanks for the response.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,103 ✭✭✭plodder


    DublinCJM wrote: »
    Anyone know how the reporting on this thing works?

    Myself and my partner both got close contact alerts on Sunday night, within an hour or so of each other.
    Everyone's phone checks for updates every few hours, but randomly relative to other phones. So, that makes sense you would get the alert roughly an hour apart.
    HSE rang us both yesterday, and all they would tell my partner was that the contact was Sept 8th.

    When they rang me, they said it was Sept 9th. I queried the time as I thought it would be unusual that we were different days, given that we were both together with our 3 year old, away in Gorey for a few days holiday.

    They told me mine was reported to the HSE as being 02:50 on the 9th. I know for a fact that I was in bed asleep at that time.

    So can there be a delay in the reported times? I assumed the whole principle was that the app logged close contacts at a particular time.
    I think it does log the particular time. So, it probably was 02:50 for you and that the signal came through the wall from an adjoining room as you suggest. Your partner's phone might not have registered on that other person's phone at the same time though. Or it did, but it had already registered earlier in the evening because it was closer at that time. I would guess the time of first contact is what is reported.
    Only thing I can think of is that while I was asleep in the hotel, with my phone on charge beside the bed, the person in the room next door had their phone beside their bed with only the bedroom wall separating us. They went on to have a positive test, and that's why it was 02:50.
    Right, I'd say that is what happened.


  • Registered Users Posts: 826 ✭✭✭DublinCJM


    Thanks


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,385 ✭✭✭Pauliedragon


    I have a P20 and was only able to download the app last week but I haven't noticed any difference in the battery.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,550 ✭✭✭ShineOn7


    Is there still a battery drain with this?


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,167 ✭✭✭Fr_Dougal


    ShineOn7 wrote: »
    Is there still a battery drain with this?

    I’ve noticed a drain lately. Only getting half a day from a charge now, day and a half without the app installed.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,550 ✭✭✭ShineOn7


    Fr_Dougal wrote: »
    day and a half without the app installed.


    Is it a Nokia brick from 1998? ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,645 ✭✭✭✭El Weirdo


    I haven't noticed any battery drain on my Pixel 3a.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,103 ✭✭✭plodder


    Just try it out. If it's causing you battery problems then get rid of it, if you have to.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,078 ✭✭✭salonfire


    plodder wrote: »
    Just try it out. If it's causing you battery problems then get rid of it, if you have to.

    Or check your battery usage - where you'll discover it is not the covid app - and leave the app installed where it is.


  • Registered Users Posts: 111 ✭✭georgieM


    App hasn't checked exposure since the 28th of September any body else notice this


  • Registered Users Posts: 826 ✭✭✭DublinCJM


    georgieM wrote: »
    App hasn't checked exposure since the 28th of September any body else notice this

    Mine's checking between 4 and 6 times a day by the looks of it... Maybe needs an app update?

    EDIT: Having said that, I've scrolled back through it and there's some days it's only been once, and doesn't look like it did anything on 30th Sept.

    Maybe only checks if it came in contact with another phone.... Though that must mean I kept 2m away from the missus for the whole of the 30th :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 799 ✭✭✭wowzer


    georgieM wrote: »
    App hasn't checked exposure since the 28th of September any body else notice this

    Same for me, last exposure check on the 29th.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,103 ✭✭✭plodder


    Same here (Android) but I notice on my wife's iphone you can't see exposure checks at all any more. Might be something to do with the recent update relating to international travel. I don't see any information about it anywhere.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,172 ✭✭✭Jinglejangle69


    This app drained my android which now won't turn on. Phone only months old.

    Had to get a new phone and lost everything.

    Never again.

    Would love to know who I could go to about this.

    ****.


  • Registered Users Posts: 798 ✭✭✭Midnight Sundance


    My last exposure check was sept 29th also.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,427 ✭✭✭Heroditas


    28th for me too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,755 ✭✭✭fly_agaric


    georgieM wrote: »
    App hasn't checked exposure since the 28th of September any body else notice this

    Noticed that on my phone (android) at the weekend (opened app and decided to look at this information for some reason + was surprised it hadn't done any checks for a few days - since 28th Sept).

    Seems to be doing exposure checks again now.

    I did not do anything at all to fix whatever was the issue (other than closing the app down fully before I opened it the next time).


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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,645 ✭✭✭✭El Weirdo


    Had no checks from the 28th September until today. Had 2 today.


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