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What to do if you receive this notification from the NHS Covid-19 app... A thread...
In summary - you don't have to do anything, and you don't need to worry... Now let's dive into the details! ...
I received this notification yesterday lunchtime. Because it did not ask me to self isolate, and when I clicked on it the NHS app was not along me to self isolate either, I wasn't too worried...
But it was still a little concerning... Who was I in contact with? For how long? When? Where? Can I find out? ...
Since I know a little about how the app works and where to find help, I searched the NHS Covid app support site for answers. I quickly found what I needed! It says that the message came from Google and I don't need to self isolate...
https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/help-with-the-app.html
https://www.covid19.nhs.uk/help-with-the-app.html
But wait! The original notification certainly LOOKS like it came from the app... In fact it specifically says it came from 'NHS Covid-19'. This is potentially disconcerting for people who don't know how the app works and interacts with the Google service...
Clearly what's happened is that Google has detected that my Bluetooth was at some point in range of someone who letter reported Coronavirus symptoms. But the algorithm in the NHS app determined that the exposure was too distant or for too short a time to be important...
So, why did I get a notification at all? It's possible that Google won't let the app developers turn off these notifications, but they really ought to. They are confusing, and could be worrying for those that don't understand the mechanics of the Bluetooth service...
Also - I still really want to know when I was exposed, for how long, and at what strength. The notification says that this data has been 'stored' - but stored where? Can I see it? It's my data surely? I can't find it in the app data, or my Google settings...
So in summary, I think these 'possible exposure' notifications should be turned off to avoid unnecessary worry and confusion. And if they have to stay, I want to be able to see the data they are based on.
@NHSCOVID19app anything you could do to help with this?
The @NHSCOVID19app account is now replying to people every few minutes reassuring them about notifications like these. Someone needs to get rid of these notifications ASAP - as I assumed, lots of people are worried about them and don't understand what they mean
