Android: Google Has Updated Passes API To Store COVID Vaccine Info

Google updates Passes API to store Digital COVID vaccination and testing information on Android devices.

Google is making plans to bringing Android users the ability to upload a digital version of their Covid-19 vaccination card. This plan would enable users to provide proof of their status whenever the need arises. This was confirmed through a blog post by Google, which says Android users will be able to store digital versions of the “COVID Card” to their mobile device. Although there’s yet to be a moral consensus of any kind to these plan, having taken the jab is already opening doors to the public especially within the travel and entertainment sectors. As countries, companies and venues continue request proof of vaccination before granting entry, technology experts emphasizes the benefit of having a digital vaccine passport,

In other to enable the storage and access to these COVID vaccination and test card on Android devices Google updated its Passes API. This API makes it easy for users to save gift cards or tickets, boarding passes, loyalty programs, offers, to their phones for easy access at the right time and engage them through location-based notifications and real-time updates.Developers from trusted healthcare organizations, government agencies and organizations authorized and qualified by public health authorities to distribute COVID vaccines or tests will have access to these APIs created by Google to create a digital version with the information. Once a user stores the digital version of the COVID Card to their device, they will be able to access it via a shortcut on their device home screen, even when they are offline or in areas that have weak internet service. In other to use this feature, the android device needs to run Android 5 or later and be Play Protect certified. Installing the Google Pay app is not a requirement to access COVID Cards.

The COVID Card has been extensively designed with privacy and security at its core. In the interest of users Google says it doesn’t retain a copy of people’s COVID-19 vaccine and test information.  If a user wants to access this information on multiple devices, the user will need to manually store it on each device. Users can choose to show their COVID Card to others but information in the card will not be shared by Google with third parties or used for targeting ads. Users can show the card to anybody they want, of course, though they’ll be required to have a lock screen on their device before they can store the card for their own safety. The Passes API update is only available in the US at the moment, but the tech giant promises that it will also roll out to other countries in the future.