Google has released an Exposure Notification API that health officials can use for Covid-19 contract tracking. Here’s how to switch that feature off and also switch off its notifications on Android.
- Open Settings
- Scroll down and select Google
- Tap on Covid-19 Exposure Notifications that may be at the top of the list.
If it is not there, then you have not updated to the May 2020 or later Google Play Services update, and the API is not on your phone. - If the options inside are greyed out, then you have not installed a Covid-19 contact tracing app. If they are not, select Delete Random ID’s and select Turn Off Exposure notifications.
The feature will be deactivated, and nothing about the API will be shown up on your phone.
To learn how to disable this feature on IOS, click here.
How this works
This works if you have a health tracking app installed. If you do, your Android device will send out random Bluetooth beacons to devices around you. It will collect beacons from phones that you have been around for at least 10 minutes.
If someone around you has marked themselves as Infected via their health tracking app, your phone will tell you that you may have been exposed to Covid-19. Note: This works if you have walked near them in the last 14 days.
