Android users have been left frustrated, with many reporting that the NZ COVID Tracer app is glitching and, in some cases, deleting their contact tracing entries.
The app’s listing on the Google Play store has been swamped with negative reviews over the last month, with many asking why the Ministry of Health hasn’t rolled out a full update.
1 NEWS spoke to Stefan Eady, who purchased his phone just last year.
His version of the NZ COVID Tracer stopped working in early October, when he updated to the latest version on the app store.
“It just doesn’t work, won’t scan anything,” Eady said.
The University of Auckland professor also say he supports compulsory mask wearing on public transport in the Tamaki Makaurau.
The app also crashes when he manually inputs his locations, and in some instances, the glitch has resulted in his diary entries being deleted.
Because of the issues, some stores have turned him away from shopping.
“The Nike store, they don’t let you in unless you scan,” he said.
The Health Ministry is aware of the issue and has developed a fix. However, affected users must email them directly to access it.
Hardly any pub patrons used the Covid Tracer App on the night an infected customer visited, Dr Ashely Bloomfield revealed today.
It is not yet available in an automatic update.
A spokesperson said “a small number of people with OnePlus, Redmi, Oppo and Xiaomi phones” have been affected.
1 NEWS understands that 954 users have already come forward after experiencing issues.
“The next app update will be released in about a week and will be tested on a range of devices and operating systems prior to release,” the spokesperson said.
It comes as cabinet prepares to make a decision on whether it’ll make scanning with the app compulsory in “high risk” areas.
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