Here's How Contact Tracing Will Work on iPhones and Android Phones

From PC Mag
Google and Apple are working with public health organizations on contact-tracing apps, and this week, they provided details on how that will work. Here's what to expect.

We all want to stop the spread of the coronavirus and end the pandemic crisis. Contact-tracing is one way to do this, and Google and Apple are working on a cross-platform contact-tracing system for iPhones and Android smartphones that will be available via official health apps.

This system has not yet rolled out. Google and Apple have only published an application programming interface (API) for it, which public health organizations can use to build apps. But Google and Apple this week provided details on what contact tracing might look like inside the health apps and at the OS level on iOS and Android. Here's what to expect.
Update Your OS and Opt In. Once the contact-tracing system is live, make sure Bluetooth is enabled, update your mobile operating system, and opt in. 
On Android, you'll start by going to Settings > Google > Services, where you'll toggle on the entry for COVID-19 Exposure Notifications.

Listening for Beacons
Once you opt in, your phone will "regularly send out a beacon via Bluetooth that includes a random Bluetooth identifier — basically, a string of random numbers that aren’t tied to a user's identity and change every 10-20 minutes for additional protection," according to an FAQ. "Other phones will be listening for these beacons and broadcasting theirs as well. When each phone receives another beacon, it will record and securely store that beacon on the device."

This app will be ready soon.

Read more about how this will work and how your privacy is protected.