What is Bluetooth proximity in Aarogya Setu App? Know all details

The Aarogya Setu app was officially launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. The app is a location-based Coronavirus tracker app that allows the user to understand if they have come in contact with any COVID-19 positive patient. The application not only provides Covid updates but also includes an interactive form that allows everyone to check themselves for Covid symptoms, and guides them to see a doctor if needed. Apart from this, many people are wondering what is Bluetooth proximity in Aarogya Setu app. If you are unsure about the same, here is all you need to know.

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What is Bluetooth proximity in Aarogya Setu App?

With 50 million downloads on Google Play Store as of writing this article, the major function of the Aarogya Setu app is to trace contacts and create a reliable network for the government to identify potential Covid-19 victims. For the same, when the user sets up their account in the app, the application asks for continuous Bluetooth access and even location data. This data is stored on the phone and only when the user permits, it is transmitted to government servers to assess with contact tracing. The user also has to provide basic information such as age, gender, name, health status and also asks for the countries that the user has been to in the past few weeks. 

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Once you have granted the app to access Bluetooth, it becomes an essential element for the app to establish close-range proximity between two people. When two smartphones with Aarogya Setu installed come in each other's Bluetooth proximity range, the app collects information. If one of the two people have already tested positive, the app will alert the other person and in the process allow the government to trace potential cases. In this way, the app helps you know if you are at risk via Bluetooth proximity.

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The alerts are accompanied by instructions to help self-isolate and even provide support if a user starts developing Coronavirus symptoms. Many organisations are planning to include the app in their daily operations to identify potential cases. For example, several food-delivery apps have made it mandatory for their employees to download Aarogya Setu with Bluetooth proximity features enabled.

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