Backup exposure history to transfer to new/reseted phone

[ma6]

Feature description

Create a backup in order to be able to continue using the app without exposure data loss when moving to a new phone. Coming with that restoring the exposure data on a new phone. Preferably, this would be possible moving between iOS and Android.

Problem and motivation

When a user changes their phone all exposure data for the last two weeks is lost. If they can make a backup of the data and restore it on their new phone this data could still be accessible and they could be warned and warn others about the infection.

Is this something you're interested in working on

Yes, from UX POV.

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Internal Tracking ID: EXPOSUREAPP-2182

[corneliusroemer]

Good idea - but may be impossible to do since the important bits are within the closed GAP API. CWA has not access to this, can't download keys. So this will most likely not work.

A limited workaround is to keep the old phone active and checking for exposure of any encounters hitherto. So at least you may get notified more or less correctly about past encounters.

[gizmo21]

Well and "keeping active" means lay it in the drawer for 14 days with WiFi only (no SIM needed) and charge it once a day. So could only be difficult with a work mobile.

[tkowark]

Dear @ma6 ,

thank you very much for your proposal.

To give the community a space for discussing new feature ideas or enhancements that might not be taken up immediately by the development teams, we created the cwa-wishlist repository.

This idea is one of these feature ideas or enhancements. Consequently, we will move this issue to this repository and allow the community and you to further refine it, discuss pros and cons, and evaluate alternatives.

The issue will not be closed in this repository to ensure long-term visibility. All issues in the cwa-wishlist repository will be discussed with our contracting entities. They will decide whether they will be implemented or pursued further. As soon as we have any updates, we will let you know about the details.

Best regards,
TK
Corona-Warn-App Open Source Team

[tens0rfl0w]

As @corneliusroemer already stated this is not possible in any way and needs to be discussed by the vendors (Google/Apple) of the EN framework.

[ma6]

Thanks for the clarification. I assumed that this is not possible at the current state of the API. I reckon the workaround by @corneliusroemer is an idea though not perfect ;). With this workaround: is it possible to mark oneself as infected on two phones with just one test? Perhaps that would be something to address in the FAQs.

[tens0rfl0w]

@ma6 The TAN/QR code is only valid for a one time key submission, so no, you cannot push the keys from two phones with one valid TAN.😐

[Xelfmade]

I've exactly this described case. I switched my phone and now all my old contacts are lost. But I noticed that the Google API indeed syncs the contacts, even from old phone. Isn't it possible to pull their information? To my mind, this is a big issue, especially in this time of year and Smartphone season.. (Apple, Google, Samsung, OnePlus all released new phones)

[daimpi]

@Xelfmade unless you have root this is unfortunately not possible as long as Google/Apple don't allow it (they store all the keys in their Exposure Notification Framework (ENF)). My recommendation would be this:

Alternatively, one could advise that the old phone could be left at home and only be turned on once a day for two weeks to check for risk encounters. This would be sufficient to receive warnings about risk encounters from days where only the old phone was carried; however, in the unlikely event of receiving a positive test result oneself, one would require an extra TeleTAN to be able to submit diagnosis keys from both phones (I'm not sure whether this is supposed to be possible in such a case).

[Xelfmade]

Yes. All keys are stored in the ENF and will analysed to the same time. There should be a way to accomplish this..

But do you think, everyone will do this, even if they know about it? That's really bad and more over the case of a positive test.

[USR123456]

Has this been filed as a feature request/bug with Apple/Google?

[MikeMcC399]

It doesn't look like backup / restore of Google data for the purpose of migrating to a new phone is going to happen, but at least in the meantime there are clear instructions published to https://www.coronawarn.app/en/faq/#new_device to cover the steps necessary to move to a new device without moving data across.

[MikeMcC399]

If there is ever a backup / restore mechanism implemented, it would not only need to include exposure keys, but also any pending test registered through a QR code.

[DanAmt]

I second this. New phone owners have to carry two phones or lose two weeks of protection.

[MikeMcC399]

@DanAmt

New phone owners have to carry two phones or lose two weeks of protection.

https://www.coronawarn.app/en/faq/#new_device advises:

• Your old device must be able to perform regular checks for possible encounters. Therefore, leave the device permanently turned on and permanently connected to the Internet.
• Keep the old device in a stationary location, e.g., in a specific place in your apartment. If possible, place the device where you can hear or see it so that you are alerted early by a notification of the app.
• Actively access the Corona-Warn-App on the old device at least once a day and check your risk status there.

If you carry the old phone with you and exposure logging is activated, then you will pick up new encounters. If possible it is best to just leave the old phone at home where it most likely will not have new encounters, then after two weeks you can disable exposure notifications on the old phone.

[larswmh]

Closing this issue as its related internal ticket was set to obsolete.

This is not possible because of ENF restrictions on iOS and Android.