Corona warning app does not run: what to do if the smartphone is too old?

If you want to use the Corona warning app, but the smartphone is too old, you need new hardware. But you don't have to spend a lot of money on it. ntv.de explains which requirements a device has to meet and which compatible smartphones are particularly cheap.

The Corona warning app is here and just a day after the official launch, you can say that it is a success. According to SAP – together with the Telekom developer of the application – it has already been downloaded more than 6.5 million times. In both the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store, it is number 1 of the most installed free apps.

Unfortunately, not everyone can install the app, because very old smartphones lack the technical prerequisites. In such cases, the only option is to get compatible devices.

Mostly affected iPhone users

Basically, the application only works if the Exposure Notification API interface developed by Google and Apple is on board. It was introduced on iPhones with iOS 13.5, Google installed it on all devices with an update of the play services that run at least Android 6.

This means that the oldest compatible Apple smartphone is the iPhone 6s, which came on the market in September 2015. Android devices can be even older and still be suitable for the Corona warning app. All you need to do is get an update to Android 6 that Google released in October 2015. According to Statcounter, older versions of Android in Germany only run on around five percent of all devices, including tablets. This means that the app can be installed on almost all smartphones used in this country with Google's operating system.

Things are different with iPhones. According to Statcounter, an iOS 13 version was installed on around 77 percent of all iPhones in Germany in May. Only around three percent of these had already been updated to iOS 13.5, but the corresponding update is available to them. So you can assume that up to 23 percent of German iPhones are not compatible with the Corona warning app.

Compatible devices for 150 euros

We know that long-time iPhone users are reluctant to switch to the Android warehouse. For them, the cheapest devices that run iOS 13.5 are the first generation of the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s. Because the smartphones are almost five years old, it is worth looking for offers from German online retailers who offer the devices refurbished and with a warranty of at least two years. You get the iPhone SE in a "very good" condition from around 140 euros, the iPhone 6s from around 180 euros.

For more flexible iPhone users, it is worth taking a look at the Android warehouse. Because you can get the latest smartphones there for about the same money. For example, the Samsung Galaxy A20e, which received an overall grade of 2.5 from Stiftung Warentest last October, is available for just under EUR 145. An interesting alternative is the Xiaomi Note 8 at the same price, whose predecessor even received the quality rating 2.4. And for 50 euros more you can get the Pro version. This is also very popular in the 150-euro class (2019).

Get out of the drawer!

With a little luck, you don't have to pay for a compatible smartphone. Because in Germany there are many thousands of smartphones in drawers that have been replaced by a contract mobile phone and have not yet found any new users. Listening to friends, acquaintances or colleagues costs nothing more than a little overcoming and a smile. And many will be happy that their old cell phone is brought back to life before it becomes electronic waste.