Google to update Android phones with COVID-19 contact tracing System using Google Play- Two Tech giants Apple and Google’s initiative to assist in the fight against Coronavirus Pandemic

Highlights

Apple and Google to work together and will develop a contact tracing tool related to COVID-19 tracking.

This COVID-19 Tracking System then will be available on Android phones by Google play service. But these updates will only available on android phones that use newer android versions starting from Android 6.0, Marshmallow, and other higher versions.

The first phase will be Bluetooth contact tracking which is an outline from next month.

Every industry, every individual is doing their best to fight the situation that arises due to deadly coronavirus. China, South Korea, Italy, and now America became the hotspot of the corona. The world economy is witnessing a downside. As well, the whole world is in lockdown mode. No doubt, the world is under the fear of coronavirus, yet many are working to ease the condition due to this global pandemic. Recently, two tech giants, Google and Apple take the initiative and announced to work together to help the health sector and government against COVID-19 fight.  Both firms announced that they started working on contact tracing technology that claimed to be helpful in the fight against COVID-19. While developing the technology the user privacy will be on top priority and all protections related to this are provided.

Google to update Android Phones For COVID-19 Tracing system

Now, Google gave confirmation regarding updating Android phones with the COVID-19 Tracing system. Google has collaborated with Apple to develop the COVID-19 Tracing System. As per the reports, Google to launch these updates on Android phones directly through Google Play. The company not only rolls out the updates but also will ensure that more android users will use it. However, these updates will be available on Android 6.0 and Marshmallow or above in the initial phase.

Today, after Google announced that Google Play will be used for this purpose. Thus, android users are relieved as Google Play is a feasible system available for getting software updates in a timely manner.

The update system will apply to both phases of Bluetooth Contact Tracing

As per the reports, these update systems will apply to both phases of the Bluetooth Contact Tracing Framework. The initial API rollout framework is due next month and the later stage is related to APIs. However, the second stage will arrive in the upcoming months.

Android Phones in China and Huawei phones could not update their system with COVID-19 Tracing S/M

Most of the android versions can update their systems with COVID-19 Tracing, but nothing is the same in the case of Android phones in China. Also, the Huawei Phone models that sold after the imposition of restriction by the US will boycott from these updates. Because after the US banned Huawei, its phones could not use Google Play, Youtube, and other services of Google.

However, for phones like Xiaomi and other Chinese manufactured phones, or we can say the government of China can decide whether to use this s/m or not that will be the framework by Google. As a matter of fact, this strategy is not new for Google. In 2019, Google used the same kind of strategy for its Project Mainline updates.

It’s a great initiative announced by Google in collaborating with Apple to work on contact tracing technology that claimed to be helpful in the fight against COVID-19. Hopefully, these updates would help to government and health officials in this global Coronavirus pandemic.