Will you go

Steve, like M, our Bluetooth is switched off permanently, as are all other application we don't use, as the battery drains too quickly otherwise. We don't have phone WiF either, but use a dongle to tether to our WiFi provider, as we can take this wherever we go in the caravan. We use iPods and kindles to view emails, watch films and even write on here.

I assume so. Although visible to other devices, they can't link unless you give them permission. The App as far as I know runs in the background, the Bluetooth just detecting the presence of other phones running it. I think it's only supposed to wake up momentarily to record the contact and then go back to sleep. Thus avoiding excessive battery drain.

Does your phone not lock onto your home WiFi when at home. Mine goes onto 4G as we move away from the house and goes automatically back onto it when we return. I think this App will be particularly useful in the period before we are allowed out and about on campsites and may help to pave the way. As to battery drain I think the App will run in the background, only waking to record contacts. You would just have to check any Bluetooth connectivity was turned off for any other Apps you might be using.

Sorry Steve, my response above should have read "Don't have home WiFi" bad we only switch on the dongle when we are going  to use it. The phone will link into it I switch on the phone's WiFi but we generally leave it switched off. Can't do with the intermittent pinging of incoming emails etc.

You have a contract with ???Gb of data, you only use that data when you connect the the web via your 4G signal but if you connect via someone's WiFi ( eg a pub's or a supermarket's or at home) you can stay connected for forever & a day & not use any of your data allowance.

 It's not, that's the box that needs to be ticked to make a phone visible to another phone eg if I wanted to send you a picture via BT then I'd need to tick the box so your phone could see mine (or viceversa)

My phone's BT is always on so that it auto connects to my cars

That’s sort of what I meant, sort of, almost.

I was initially puzzled how the App would work when they mentioned it would use Bluetooth. Bluetooth only connects with other Bluetooth devices. For example if I wish to use the hands free phone system in my car I have to pair my phone with the car and it will download all my phone numbers, on my phone to the car. You can also use it to play music via the headset in the car. Having been puzzled I think the idea is that once you have the App installed on your phone and downloaded with your COVID status it works by alerting nearby phones (within bluetooth range) of that status. So for arguments sake if your status says that you have signs of the virus it will alert others around you of that fact. It won't identify you but it is just a warning that anyone who gets that notification has been near someone with the virus and might have to take precautions. That is my, probably misinformed, understanding on how it will work.   I am not sure how Bluetooth would have a major impact on your battery. My phone, plus all its possible connections is on all the time and at home I only need to charge it every 2 to 3 days and then its still 60% charged before I start.

David

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