A second attempt at a Covid-19 contact-tracing app for England will soon be tested by members of the public.
Officials hope to confirm the date for the limited roll-out within a few days. It could be as soon as next week.
The app will let people scan barcode-like QR codes to log venue visits, as well as implementing Apple and Google’s method of detecting other smartphones.
But efforts are still ongoing to deliver medical test results within the product.
Users will get alerts if others they have recently been close to declare that they have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
The software will provide information about the prevalence of the disease in the local area to encourage people to be more cautious if levels rise.
The Times has reported that users could also be given a rough count of how many times a day they have been within 2m (6.6ft) of any other person with the app installed, for more than 15 minutes. This could help people spot instances where they could have taken more care and help change their behaviour.
But it appears that Baroness Harding and others in charge of the NHS Test and Trace team still do not believe enough progress has been made to rely on Bluetooth signals to direct users to self-isolate for a fortnight.