Help with covid app, mobile data turned of when out

sweetsand

I looked on the net.
My phone is old as I'm not a mobile person and it is the iphone4 i think its called the smaller one with the glass. I can't even upload the app.
I only do PAYG and don't do roaming as they call it, net surfing.
So my question if I bought a newer mobile - and stayed on PAYG but hardly use the phone to make calls and don't have the internet switched on - the silly question but not to me - would the app register if I was close to someone with Covid for track and trace as mobiles give off signals I've read.
I hope I've been clear, if not here it goes again
With mobile data switched off but the mobile switched on via PAYG, would it register and alert me if I was near a covid person/s for the set time?

Many thanks.

sweetsand

Anyone?
TIA

neilmcl

sweetsand said:

Anyone?
TIA

You don't need mobile data for the app to work but it will require internet access at some point.

Alter_ego

I think it works via bluetooth, if that's correct it doesn't need  internet connection..

Carrot007

Alter_ego said:

I think it works via bluetooth, if that's correct it doesn't need  internet connection..

As above it needs it at some point, otherwise the data will never be shared. I assume wifi when you get home is fine. But who knows with the competance given to creating it!

neilmcl

Alter_ego said:

I think it works via bluetooth, if that's correct it doesn't need  internet connection..

It'll require internet at some point else it wouldn't be able to get updated data from you. Having said that even if you had mobile data switched on you won't be charged for using the app as there's an agreement with all the main mobile providers.

Carrot007

silvercar said:

The question is whether the app can work by pushing data without the internet being "turned on"

Push notifications are data. So no.

In fact everything on your phone with a connection is data. They just charge differently for different forms for some reason (it's to make you pay more for some forms of it).

neilmcl

https://faq.covid19.nhs.uk/article/KA-01164/en-us?parentid=CAT-01028&rootid=CAT-01024

Carrot007

neilmcl said:

https://faq.covid19.nhs.uk/article/KA-01164/en-us?parentid=CAT-01028&rootid=CAT-01024

"en-us", that tell you all you need to know about IT in the NHS (or government) ;-)

And beetween the lines, whenever you get free wifi sounds like good enough.

Word or warning though, once install do not take it's notifications as gospel, it's a bad app, coroberate with reality first. It can help, but if you wildly believe it you may never leave the house again.

silvercar

neilmcl said:

https://faq.covid19.nhs.uk/article/KA-01164/en-us?parentid=CAT-01028&rootid=CAT-01024

Interesting.
key bit is  you need data switched on and Major phone operators in England and Wales are supporting NHS COVID-19 app users by ‘zero-rating’ data charges for all in-app activity. This means customers will not be charged for data when using the in-app functions, or if they are directed out of the app to nhs.uk websites.
So you need to turn data on but you won't be charged for using the app. The danger for a low/ zero data user is that you have other apps running that download data that you will be charged for, so you need to make sure all your settings for other apps are set to download over wifi only.

silvercar

If you want to remain with an iPhone, then the 6S is the earliest model that will allow the app to work, so your 4 won't work even with data on.