To think people won't download the app if it will cost them money ...**Title edited by MNHQ**

[gummybeary]

I have name changed for this, because I am worried people will think I'm advocating this, which I'm not, but I do keep wondering about it.

The government are hoping that people will download the tracing app, and then they and their families are expected to self-isolate when they have been in contact with a possible source of Covid. I watched QT last night and that seemed to be what they were saying.

Will people do that if it means they have to take SSP for two weeks at a time while they are off work? Especially if this is quite a substantial drop in income for them and their families each time? It could end up costing some families quite a lot over time, and while I understand the need to protect others, will people do this at the expense of protecting their own incomes?

If not, will it end up being only those who can afford it or are in jobs with good sickness pay schemes who remain signed up?

Of course, they could get tested to get back to work quicker, but the results from tests would need to speed up a lot for that to make a huge difference to time off.

Please tell me if I'm not understanding something, because I'm sure I'm missing something.

I won't be downloading it because of not remotely trusting the people behind it.

I'm not downloading it, don't trust it at all. The government has made such a hash of everything I can't see this app being any good at all.

I've thought about this too. If you download the app, you may be told to self-isolate for 7/14 days. If you just don't download it, you won't be told to self-isolate and can carry on as normal.

It may be better for the country if people download it, but for a lot of people who are already fed up of lockdown - or can't afford to take two weeks off - it would be better for them personally if they don't download it.

And that's ignoring the technology, battery, privacy concerns which I don't understand well enough to have a strong opinion on atm.

Could an app appear in your phone without you downloading it

Like others I wont be downloading it but to answer the question;-
Yes and if they named it something innocuous not many would even notice. And no because my phone has no room on it and DPs phone is a seriously old brick Nokia. It's not even faintly smart.

But I never have bluetooth on and I personally dont have internet on my phone which I assume is also needed?

YANBU. I'm fortunate in that I could work from home when I self-isolated the first time but a lot can't. A lot of people get disciplined if they take too many episodes of sick leave, and a lot of people can't afford to keep going onto SSP.

I won't be downloading the app - the battery is knackered so I'm not using Bluetooth, nor will it last very long if my iPhone's battery saving mechanisms keep being disturbed, for want of a better word, by Android phones waking it up again (apparently the app needs Android phones to keep iPhones awake).

And if the government hadn't betrayed our trust with the Cambridge Analytica scandal I might have trusted them. But they did, so I don't.

I thought the idea was you get tested if you get a text so technically 48 hours off rather than 2 weeks. If clear back to work.

And it won’t work at all for the many who don’t have smartphones.

Even 48 hours is too much for some people - it still counts as a period of sick leave.

Another point is that Bluetooth works through walls. If my neighbour tests positive, why the hell should I self-isolate/get tested and have my life disrupted AGAIN, when the only way the virus would have got to me is if it could operate a jackhammer?

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking about these points. I was thinking of the financial aspect, but, like PPs have said, a lot of businesses just couldn't tolerate people in and out whenever they get a text message. Not to mention the problems in schools etc.

@daisypond I think that testing is the idea, but it'll have to be a lot more efficient than it is at present. It was in the news again today that it's taking up to 10 days for results in some areas at the minute, so still a substantial time off work.

Sorry, I think it was actually @Bonkerz who said about testing!