List devices on which the app does not work (e.g. Xiaomi, Huawei)

[corneliusroemer]

In your FAQs you state:

Android: The app will run on phones with Android 6 ('Marshmallow') or higher. The Exposure Notification API has been installed on these phones automatically via the Google Play services. (https://www.coronawarn.app/en/faq/)

Unfortunately, there seem to be exceptions to this rule, not mentioned in the FAQ - the FAQs read as if any phone with Android 6+ and Play services up to date works.
E.g. Xiaomi, Redmi, Huawei, see issues corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android#495 corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android#490 corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android#487

The fact that these devices won't work isn't clear from your documentation, so it's a bug. Please add it to the FAQs and the Play Store App Compatibility List as excluded devices: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/7353455?hl=en

If Google has a list of devices that are compatible/incompatible, it would be worth linking to. Rather than just saying contact Google/Apple. You know they won't be of any help.

I remember that a week ago someone asked you for a Green List of devices. You said you didn't want to make one. I asked for a public beta test to figure these issues out before release and be prepared with messaging. You didn't want to beta test. Well, now we have the salad.

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Internal Tracking ID: EXPOSUREAPP-2957

[TimWeidner]

I absolutely agree on this. I am currently spreading the links to the app and multiple people (Xiaomi Phones with non-stock Android) were irritated by the API(17) Error they received. Should be clarified better. Also +1 for "Well, now we have the salad" 😂

[Timo1993]

There are also sometimes no error messages although the app does not work.

[mat-l]

The app needs support for the API provided by Huawei Mobile Service, otherwise all users with such phones are locked out.

Currently only the official Google and Apple API are working. Due to the conflict between USA and China, lots of Huawei phone do not get any Google Play Service updates, like my phone.

For these reasons, the Corona-Warn-App needs support for HMS Core, otherwise we cannot contribute or participate in this programme.

In my opinion this should be implemented asap - one could expect it for an app price of 20 Mio. Euro

[corneliusroemer]

And so that non-techie users don't get hit over the head by an error message, it's important that the FAQs mention the status quo: Huawei doesn't work but we're working on it (or not), to set expectations.

[Nokius]

@corneliusroemer due to the fragmentation in the Android world a list of all devices which work and don't is impossible. There is no way to test all available handsets which somehow made there way to Germany.
if the device runs Android with Google Services (latest release) It's possible to be on the sunny side.

About Huawei, in the last month there was a wide coverage that Google Service are an issue for new Huawei devices. How big is the market share of this devices, are they relevant? For now the Application goes for the wide mass. There are users who are now out side of the use case of this application.
BUT it was the choose of the handset user to not use an Google Android supported device or iOS handset.

[corneliusroemer]

@Nokius I think you're missing my point.
If there are general problems with general OEMs, then this should be listed in the FAQs to set expectations correctly and avoid confusion and unnecessary bug reports.
Huawei market share in Germany is 17%. That's HUGE
https://gs.statcounter.com/vendor-market-share/mobile/germany

[Nokius]

@corneliusroemer I doubt that 17% of the market share are Google Service free handsets. If so it was still the users choose to buy an device with following issues. Sorry to repeat myself but also that was covered in most of the reviews about Huawei and Horner handsets also the lack of Google Service API on this devices. Once again welcome to a walled garden!

[jlnprssnr]

Keep in mind that 95+% of Huawei devices out there still have Google Play Services. Only Mate 30 Pro, P40 (Lite / Pro) and Mate Xs come without GPS and have HSM instead.

[Nokius]

@jlnprssnr thanks for this input I was looking into this information currently!

[corneliusroemer]

Thanks @jlnprssnr I wasn't aware of that. I thought all Huawei devices were affected. One more reason to specify an (incomplete) list of which devices don't work. So that those Huawei users who can install it aren't put off by hearing that some Huawei devices don't work.

[sinjawski]

@corneliusroemer due to the fragmentation in the Android world a list of all devices which work and don't is impossible. There is no way to test all available handsets which somehow made there way to Germany.
if the device runs Android with Google Services (latest release) It's possible to be on the sunny side.

About Huawei, in the last month there was a wide coverage that Google Service are an issue for new Huawei devices. How big is the market share of this devices, are they relevant? For now the Application goes for the wide mass. There are users who are now out side of the use case of this application.
BUT it was the choose of the handset user to not use an Google Android supported device or iOS handset.

As mentioned several times by others, it is also about trust: And why I wold not trust Huawai or Google (and try to omit playstore even with more up-to-date devices), I had been using Blackberry for many years, and still have them in service for me and my kids. Any kind of downgrade compatibility should be analyzed and should be no question about money: it is not about a banking App for a few thousand users, but intended to be the best App on the most important topic of the year and should be used by as many people as possible. So while there were good reasons for many years to use BB (e.g. Leap) especially in the professional area, it is as expected that late Android releases are not supported.

[Nokius]

@corneliusroemer what if you start that list =)
create a fork, use markdown and create a PR it's an opensource and you can contribute ;)
I bet community support is very appreciated from bot parties creates and users.

[corneliusroemer]

@Nokius There's not much point in creating this if the project doesn't support it. If it's not added to FAQs and as a whitelist/blacklist on the PlayStore.

If we have that guarantee, sure let's get it started on a fork

@SebastianWolf-SAP What's your opinion? Do you have interest in using such a list of "known to work" and "known to be problematic"?

[gizmo21]

not only the absence of Google services could avoid a working scenario, but also the absence of BLE peripheral mode. Even if Android 6.0, BLE in general, Google Play services, CWA installation is working, keys are not exchanged or sent at least.
corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android#674

If there are some well known examples they should be listed, to avoid false faith in a seemingly working, but crippled setup.

could it be even phone Nexus 5 is not compatible?
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/26997049/chipsets-supporting-ble-peripheral-role-on-android-5

[tkowark]

We are still evaluating how and by whom such a list could best be created. We'll keep you updated once we have new information on that.

[lastenfahradwahn]

I am bumping this issue. I am traveling to Germany soon, something I have been planning for for a long time. I have my paperwork (visiting my fiance), a Corona Test booked with Centogene, and the South African tracing app installed. I am all ready to go and travel as safely as possible to Germany. I want to install the app to make sure I don't contribute to the spread of the virus in Germany and that I take part in contact tracing for the duration of the stay.

However the app won't download to or install on my Xioami 9C with Android 10 and the latest Google Play Services. My phone has not had any problem installing apps, and runs the South African contact tracing app which is based on GAEN and has the same exact minimum requirements as CoronaWarn.

I have also opened this issue at corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android#1261

[vaubaehn]

Hi @ALEXdotAfrica ,

I think your inquiry doesn't fit too well here, since this issue is about incompatible phones by technical reasons (missing Google Play Services).

Your phone may be technically compatible, but you cannot download Corona-Warn-App because of legal reasons:
As this app handles sensible health data, data privacy legislation needs to be regarded for every country that Corona-Warn-App is intended to be made available for, means, German government needs to make agreements with every country that it should be used in. As for Europe, that wasn't a big problem, for all other nations outside Europe this is a long way to go...
But according to your profile you're an expert in digital rights, so I guess, I'm telling no news to you.

What can you do?

• Arriving in Germany, you could change your Google Play Store account to "Germany". But take care, change of country of residence can only be made once per year. But if you intend to stay long-term here, shouldn't be any problem, right?
• Also, you could side download Corona-Warn-App from here: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/robert-koch-institut/corona-warn-app/ as this is no official channel.

Hope that helps, have a good stay here!

[dsarkar]

@gizmo21, regarding BLE peripheral mode, see this comment: corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android#688 (comment)

Best wishes,
DS

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Corona-Warn-App Open Source Team

[MikeMcC399]

Since CWA Android 2.2.1 the app checks for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) compatibility. See https://www.coronawarn.app/en/faq/#incompatibility_warning and corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android#688 (as mentioned already by @dsarkar).

[GisoSchroederSAP]

Whoever ist interested to follow up on this topic, may have a quick view to the list provided here.
Maybe, it is helpful to understand, that the CWA now just detects the limited capabilities (as described above) but cannot change the behavior of the device

[molarya1]

Hey @MikeMcC399 @heinezen @Ein-Tim @dsarkar does anybody know if this still needs attention? Glad to take charge here if so - or please feel free to point me toward other open issues if this has already been completed, would love to get involved wherever I can! :)

[MikeMcC399]

@molarya1

I think it would be quite difficult to compile a list of incompatible devices and maintaining such a list is almost certainly doomed to failure.

Practically speaking, owners of existing old devices can install CWA and it will tell them if the Bluetooth Low Energy component is compatible or not. Anyone looking to buy a new phone can use the information in the Availability section of the FAQs to check on the generic requirements.

[molarya1]

@MikeMcC399 Gotcha, that makes sense. Will poke around elsewhere to find other places to get involved :)

[Ein-Tim]

The @open-source-team should decide on how to proceed here. If it was decided against implementing such list, I suggest to close this issue.

[svengabr]

I have just checked the linked Jira issue.

Jira Ticket is flagged as:
Resolution: Fixed
Status: Completed

Developer comment:

GitHub issue https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android/issues/612

was updated with list of devices.

GitHub issues #495 #490 #487 all closed already.