How to download, set-up and use Aarogya Setu app to curb coronavirus spread

The Aarogya Setu tracks your movement and inform if you have come in contact with someone tested positive for coronavirus

The government recently launched the Aarogya Setu mobile app to help people identify the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus by using smartphone’s Bluetooth and location services. Developed by the ministry of electronics and information technology, the app supports 10 Indian and English. The app is available for download on Google’s Play Store and Apple App Store for Android and iOS mobile platforms, respectively. The app has garnered more than 10 million downloads on Android platform alone.
 
The Aarogya Setu tracks users movement and informs them if they have may have come in contact with someone tested positive for coronavirus. To track the movements, the app used phone’s location services. To communicate with other devices, it uses phone’s Bluetooth connectivity. The app collects data and send it to government servers using phone’s internet connectivity. The whole process runs in background and the user is notified if he/she has come in close proximity to coronavirus positive person.

 

Here is how to download and use the Aarogya Setu app (Android):
 
Step 1: Connect the phone to internet
 
Step 2: Go to Play Store and search for app by its name
 
Step 3: Download the app
 

Step 4: Open the app and grant location, Bluetooth and other permissions
 
Step 5: Enter the phone number and verify it by using the one-time password (OTP)
 

Step 6: Complete the set-up by answering the questions, including those related to your travel history, etc.
 
Step 7: Take the assessment before you start using the app
 
The assessment is to check if the app user has Covid-19 symptoms. The answers collected are sent to government servers that allows the government to take timely steps to curb the spread, if necessary. Once the app is set-up, it will work even in phone’s background to interact with other smartphones with the Aarogya Setu app installed.