TraceTogether for iphone

[derrickgoh]

I should probably be posting this at EDMW for more views but knowing the level of intelligence there, maximum views clearly doesn’t translate to quality opinions. Anyway the app is for iphone so i guess there is still relevance to this forum.

So we all know about how TraceTogether supposedly doesn’t work as well with iphone cos u need to leave it as the active app with the so called power saving screen on at all times. So essential you can’t use screen lock & amongst other issues, your battery life is shortened.

Then in a recent update the power saving screen is no longer available cos the app apparently now runs in the background so no more issues (supposedly) with having to leave your screen unlocked anymore.

But then some said the app doesn’t work with bluetooth when running in background. Or something like that lah. Basically, the app is still useless unless u leave it as the active app with screen unlocked.

The current app version shows how many Bluetooth exchanges there are with other TraceTogether users. So i did an experiment. When i left my home i had zero exchanges for the day.

I then ran several apps including TraceTogether. The last app displayed on my screen was Straits Times before I locked my screen. So TraceTogether is now effectively running in background. Which supposedly doesn’t work.

I refrained from opening the app on the train so as not to affect the results of my experiment. When i reached my destination i unlocked the screen & saw 54 exchanges.

So with the screen locked & app running in background, it still had exchanges with other users. To a simpleton like me, that means the app IS working even though its running in the background with phone’s screen locked.

So can someone enlighten me about this so called “doesn’t work in background” thing? If its not working then how come with my screen locked & app in background it can have 54 exchanges? Unless u are saying those are fake figures lah which is a whole different story

 

[szeli]

they could be using some loophole which will get patched in e future rendering e app useless again.

 

[derrickgoh]

they could be using some loophole which will get patched in e future rendering e app useless again.

But with them busy developing the token, i would think they would not be bothered about finding loopholes to take advantage of

 

[tec_geek]

If I’m not wrong, it still runs in the background for 30 mins. And after which the processes will be ‘killed’ off. That could also be the reason that the 54 exchanges happened.

All Things  HardwareZone Forums app

 

[derrickgoh]

If I’m not wrong, it still runs in the background for 30 mins. And after which the processes will be ‘killed’ off. That could also be the reason that the 54 exchanges happened.

All Things  HardwareZone Forums app

Logical i guess but wouldn’t leaving background app refresh on solve the problem then?

Yesterday i did same thing but i did go to the app a few times lah unlike today. Had about 190 exchanges after a day at work.

 

[PetPet]

Devs reply can be found here - https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/...at_tracetogether_has_officially_been/fwt8cgd/

------------------------------------------------------

Spoiler

It leverages on Background App Refresh (BAG) with a reduced rolling rate (my guess).

Because how often an app is selected by iOS to run during BAG. The devs tried to game the system by incorporating the SafeEntry feature in bid to get users to use the app more often.

By using the app more often, it helps to raise the app’s priority in iOS’s BAG.

Hence, if you don’t use the app often enough. BAG will not pick it up and you’ll have lesser or even 0 exchanges.

Which is also why, using the official API is the way to go.
Of course that's another discussion.

 

[discoburg]

My colleague had 800+ exchanges while me and another colleague only had 100. We were together in the same office all the time on that day and we each drove to work also.

 

[szeli]

It leverages on Background App Refresh (BAG) with a reduced rolling rate (my guess).

Because how often an app is selected by iOS to run during BAG. The devs tried to game the system by incorporating the SafeEntry feature in bid to get users to use the app more often.

By using the app more often, it helps to raise the app’s priority in iOS’s BAG.

Hence, if you don’t use the app often enough. BAG will not pick it up and you’ll have lesser or even 0 exchanges.

Which is also why, using the official API is the way to go.
Of course that's another discussion.

this is a plausible explanation

 

[derrickgoh]

I wrote to TraceTogether and received a reply that it doesn't work with iOS. I was like WTF?

Couldn't explain why I had exchanges. And if it doesn't work why not remove it from App Store.

 

[PongRareRare]

I wrote to TraceTogether and received a reply that it doesn't work with iOS. I was like WTF?

Couldn't explain why I had exchanges. And if it doesn't work why not remove it from App Store.

What? Lol
So it’s just for show?
“A peace of mind?”

 

[derrickgoh]

What? Lol
So it’s just for show?
“A peace of mind?”

Wouldn't be surprised if its outsourced so typical outsourced customer service kind of templated cut & paste reply.

I mean I clearly said I had bluetooth exchanges & Ramesh says it doesn't work on iOS. So the exchanges were fake and randomly generated to give people peace of mind?

Well done Ramesh, come limpei clap for you.

 

[coloumbiaGames]

I wrote to TraceTogether and received a reply that it doesn't work with iOS. I was like WTF?

Couldn't explain why I had exchanges. And if it doesn't work why not remove it from App Store.

 

[trento]

Not really relevant to your case but i think initial concerns were folks forcibly asked by their companies to download TT. So basically once the app opens, it drains the batt drastically. This isn't the case for Android. But it's a different issue from yours.

 

[tec_geek]

Just gotten an update for TraceTogether:

All Things  HardwareZone Forums app

 

[spidercyj]

Just gotten an update for TraceTogether:

All Things  HardwareZone Forums app

That’s interesting they managed to do it without COVID-19 api by Apple Google

 

[PongRareRare]

That’s interesting they managed to do it without COVID-19 api by Apple Google

Well, is it really working though? I’m in office, I have 2 colleagues in the same room. I have 6 exchanges. Makes me wonder, does the Bluetooth detects next room or next floor?

Edit: in FAQ
1. The app logs all exchanges with nearby TraceTogether phones. Because Bluetooth's range can go up to 10 metres, phones close to you such as your neighbours' could exchange signals with your phone, through walls/ceiling/floor.

2. When a patient confirmed with COVID-19 uploads their Bluetooth proximity data to MOH, it is processed and filtered based on duration and signal strength to identify only the close contacts.

Filtering is not done on the phone because it's not a straightforward cut-off. The algorithm calibrates the data to account for different transmission powers of different phone models.

 

[Fellowes]

That’s interesting they managed to do it without COVID-19 api by Apple Google

Ikr, did Apple give chance and allow it like an agreement with our govt or our developers found a way around it without using Google/Apple API.

 

[tec_geek]

Do you think it uses the Background App Refresh in the iOS settings or just the app has to been running in the background, like in multitask? Cause in the intro, it says not to close the app.

All Things  HardwareZone Forums app

 

[spidercyj]

Do you think it uses the Background App Refresh in the iOS settings or just the app has to been running in the background, like in multitask? Cause in the intro, it says not to close the app.

All Things  HardwareZone Forums app

I don’t think it does. I have background app refresh completely disabled and I just checked my number jumped from 2 to 35 and I didn’t go out of the house yet the whole day.

 

[derrickgoh]

Ok latest version works liao. Go update & see the instructions.