Cwa-app-android: Misleading / incorrect instruction to "Allow location access" during onboarding

[MikeMcC399]

Avoid duplicates

• [X] Bug is not mentioned in the FAQ
• [X] Bug is specific for Android only, for general issues / questions that apply to iOS and Android please raise them in the documentation repository
• [ ] Bug is not already reported in another issue
  This is a follow-on from the closed issue https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android/issues/986 regarding a sub-problem reported by @MikeJayDee in https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android/issues/986#issuecomment-712168348.

Describe the bug

In the screen "How to Enable Exposure Logging", which is displayed as part of the onboarding process, the following text is always displayed, whether or not location is enabled, also independently of whether location enabled is needed or not.

Allow location access
Your location cannot be accessed. Google and/or Android requires access to your device's location to use 
Bluetooth.

Expected behaviour

In Android 10 (API 29) and below, the text "Your location cannot be accessed." should only be displayed if location is disabled.

In Android 11 (API 30) and above, the whole reference to location access should not be displayed. The Google Exposure Notifications System does not require access to the device's location in order to use Bluetooth Low Energy. See https://support.google.com/android/answer/9930236.

Steps to reproduce the issue

For Android 10 and below:

1. In (Android) Settings ensure location is enabled (differs depending on phone)
2. CWA > three-dot menu > Settings > Reset App and confirm
3. Tap "LET'S GET STARTED"
4. Tap "NEXT"
5. On screen "How to Enable Exposure Logging" scroll down to the section under "The following countries currently participate" and note the message "Allow location access".
6. Tap "ACTIVATE EXPOSURE LOGGING" and confirm with "Turn on"
   Tap "NEXT" twice and tap "Ok", "ALLOW" and "Allow"
   Note that status shows "EXPOSURE LOGGING ACTIVE" despite the warning that location access must be enabled.

For Android 11:
As above, except for step 1. where location should be disabled.

Technical details

Android version: 8

• Mobile device: Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Android version: 11

• Mobile device: Pixel 3a emulator

For both the above Android versions

• CWA version: 1.5.1
• ENS version: 17203915000

Possible Fix

The display of the warning text needs to take account of the Android version and, in the case of Android 10 and below, also the state of location. Note also https://developers.google.com/android/exposure-notifications/implementation-guide#locationless_scanning_in_android_11 which refers to deviceSupportsLocationlessScanning().

Additional context

FAQ https://www.coronawarn.app/en/faq/#android_location is currently inaccurate concerning Android 11 in the main article, although the links to the Google pages correctly describe the differences between Android 10 and below compared with Android 11. (See https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-website/issues/539.)
Fixed by https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-website/pull/550.

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Internal Tracking ID: EXPOSUREAPP-3618
related to
Internal Tracking ID: EXPOSUREAPP-2025

[heinezen]

Hello @MikeMcC399 ,

Thank you for the report. We have mirrored the issue to Jira (ticket ID: EXPOSUREAPP-3618) and it should soon be addressed by the devs.

Regards,
CH

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Corona-Warn-App Open Source Team

[dsarkar]

Dear @MikeMcC399,

Update on your reported issue: There is actually another internal ticket on this issue: EXPOSUREAPP-2025 and related PR https://github.com/corona-warn-app/cwa-app-android/pull/1057. We will publish any further developments here.

Best wishes,
DS

Corona-Warn-App Open Source Team

[MikeMcC399]

@dsarkar

PR #1057 seems to only cover the check about whether location services are needed. I can't see anything in that PR which deals with displaying the instructions "Allow location access" or not. Also PR #1057 was marked as merged on Aug 27 already. I see though that it implements the check using deviceSupportsLocationlessScanning() so perhaps that is why you mentioned it.

I assume that the issue with displaying the instructions will be tracked via EXPOSUREAPP-3618 as @heinezen said.

[dsarkar]

@MikeMcC399, sure your issue is tracked via EXPOSUREAPP-3618.