The Health Service Executive (HSE) said that the problem has been identified and it is working with Google to fix it as soon as possible
Thousands of Irish smart-phone users who saw their batteries drain unusually quickly after downloading the Covid Tracker Ireland app have been promised the issue has been resolved.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) of Ireland has declined to say how many people deleted the app because of the issue.
Some users of Android smartphones, including brands such as Samsung, Huawei, Sony and OnePlus – experienced abnormal battery life depletion and overheating, with their phones indicating the Covid Tracker app as the culprit.
In separate statements, the HSE, Google and Nearform – the Irish app’s development firm – said the issue was fixable.
Sorry to anyone that has had issues with the app this weekend, said the HSE. We have identified the problem that some users with Android phones are experiencing. Google are working with us to fix it as soon as possible.
There have been no reports of the issue affecting iPhones.
Last weekend, the HSE claimed the problem was triggered by an update to Google Play Services, leading to a change in behaviour in the app’s Exposure Notification System.
However, Google has not recently updated Google Play Services.
Google and Apple are the main architects of the underlying technology behind the Covid Tracker app. The joint effort by the two tech giants was designed partially to minimise the impact on battery life from the app, which works in the background, even when the phone is locked or sleeping.
Typically, the app can use around 5pc of a smartphone’s daily battery reserve. But over the weekend, social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit saw hundreds complain that their Android handsets were sapped of power within hours due to errant behaviour from the Covid Tracker app.
Around 1.5 million Irish people have downloaded the app, according to the HSE, with over 100 contact tracing connections made since its launch.