The NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app is showing a bug for some Android phone users in the UK who are seeing a glitch that says the app is “Loading” and there’s no way to get rid of it.
A quick search on Twitter shows a variety of users complaining about the glitch, and it’s yet to be confirmed what’s causing the issue.
The developers behind the app have acknowledged the issue, and a message from the official NHS Covid-19 app on Twitter says they’re working on a fix.
It doesn’t appear to be all Android phone owners in the UK; from our research so far, the glitch doesn’t seem to be impacting those who have the iPhone application either.
A few of our writers on team have seen the same bug, and there does seem to be a way to get rid of the notification. One Twitter user pointed out to us that turning off notifications for the NHS Covid-19 app and then turning them back on removed the notification.
We’ve tried doing that, and it seems to have made the notification disappear. If you try this technique, remember to turn the notifications back on again so you’ll be notified if you come in contact with someone that tests positive for Covid-19.
We are aware of an issue affecting Android users of the #NHSCOVID19app who are receiving a loading screen notification. We are working with Google to urgently investigate and resolve the issue as soon as possible.➡️ https://t.co/rzgGGmuV13January 13, 2021
The notification has since disappeared for one of our writers, but the complaints on Twitter are continuing suggesting the issue isn’t solved for everyone.
It seems to be a bug, and you may just have to wait for a fix to come directly from the developers rather than sort the issue yourself.
Don’t have the NHS Covid-19 app? If you live in England and Wales, we recommend downloading it either from the Google Play Store for Android devices or here for iPhone from the Apple App Store.
If you live in Northern Ireland, you can download a separate app on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. If you live in Scotland, you can download an alternative the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.