Critical mass of Android users crucial for NHS contact-tracing app
Experts say NHS relying on ‘Android herd immunity’ to overcome Apple-related issues
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The NHS’s contact-tracing app will fail unless sufficient numbers of Android phone users sign up, experts who have examined its trial use on the Isle of Wight have said.
They say NHSX, the digital arm of the health service, is relying on an “Android herd immunity” strategy to overcome shortcomings in the app. A critical mass of Android users will be required to ensure iPhone owners remain covered by the app’s contact-tracing ability. If not enough Android users are in any given community, iPhones will eventually stop broadcasting the signals required for the app to work.
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