Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
On Wednesday, Apple and Google rolled out support for their coronavirus exposure notification system, as implemented in an update to iOS and Android. First announced on April 10th, the system uses a complex BLE Beacon protocol to allow users to track recent exposures to other users who have tested positive for COVID-19. The companies have pledged not to collect data from the framework or otherwise monetize it, and they intend to shut the system down once the public health crisis has passed.
The companies plan to eventually build the system directly into Android and iOS, but that’s still months away. Today’s update simply opens the door for public health apps to use the framework and the enhanced Bluetooth access that it enables.
So…