Background Operation

After install and consent, the app mostly runs in the background, performing its two key tasks at user-transparent intervals:

Network Quality Tests: It periodically pings servers, measures download/upload briefly, and records signal info. These tests adapt in frequency (thanks to AI) to minimize impact. The data collected is small and won’t bog down the user’s connectivity or battery significantly.

Proof-of-Presence: At intervals, the app logs the device’s approximate location context – using GNSS satellites, nearby cell tower IDs, WiFi SSIDs (hashed), and Bluetooth signals – to create a “location fingerprint”. This, combined with a timestamp, forms a presence proof that “Device X was in area Y at time T.” Each proof is signed by the device’s secure enclave. Importantly, it’s not constant GPS tracking; it might grab location data a few times per hour (by default) and in a privacy-preserving way (coarse grids, not exact addresses).

All proofs and QoE data are immediately signed on-device and sent to Authra’s network (or queued if offline). The user doesn’t need to do anything – it’s passive and doesn’t interfere with other phone use.

Mobile App Core Functions: Once a user installs TruePing (Android initially, iOS support to follow), the app works mostly in the background to perform its two key tasks:

1. Network QoE Probing: The app periodically tests the device’s internet connection – for example, pinging a nearby server to measure latency and jitter, performing a brief download to estimate bandwidth, or checking signal strength and network type. These tests are small and adaptive (the frequency can change as needed) to minimize any user impact. Essentially, the phone becomes a tiny monitoring node that reports how well the network is working from that user’s vantage point.

2. Proof-of-Presence Reporting: The app securely logs the device’s location context at certain intervals using a combination of signals (GPS, cell towers, WiFi, Bluetooth). Importantly, it doesn’t constantly track or report exact locations; instead, it collects “moments” of presence and associated environment data, which serve as proofs that “this device was roughly here at time T.” Each proof uses the multi-signal fingerprint + TEE signing approach described earlier to ensure authenticity .

All data collected is signed in the device’s secure enclave before leaving the phone. This means even if the phone had malware, it couldn’t alter the measurements without breaking the signature. The data is then sent to Authra’s network (via the nearest ingestion server or directly to validators) automatically. TruePing is optimized to be lightweight: internal testing showed it adds less than 3% to daily battery usage, thanks to efficient scheduling and making use of OS features like batching tasks when the radio is awake. For example, if your phone is low on battery or you’re on a metered (cellular) connection, the app will slow down data collection and queue results until a better time (such as when you plug in or connect to WiFi). This adaptive behavior ensures TruePing remains a “good citizen” on the device, avoiding annoyance or excessive resource use.

User Rewards and Gamification: To motivate users to participate en masse, TruePing provides meaningful rewards and an engaging experience:

• $ATRX Rewards: Users earn $ATRX tokens for every valid proof their device contributes. The app includes a built-in crypto wallet (abstracted for non-technical users) where these tokens accumulate. The reward algorithm can weigh contributions – data from under-covered areas or during important events might earn more, whereas redundant data in well-covered city centers might earn less. This encourages users to provide coverage where it’s needed.

• In-App Wallet & Staking: Users can hold their earned tokens in the app, and we plan to allow in-app staking or lockup for those who want to earn additional yield or simply support the network (possibly with bonuses for doing so). The UI keeps it simple: e.g., “You have 100 ATRX – stake them for a bonus” with one tap.

• Gamification Elements: We introduce badges, leaderboards, and streaks to tap into intrinsic motivations. For instance, a user might earn a badge like “Explorer – provided proofs in 10 different cities” or “Reliability Champ – 30 days of continuous uptime reports.” Leaderboards can be global or local: users can see how they rank in their city or country in terms of contributions. A little competition and recognition can greatly boost engagement. We might feature top contributors in a non-personally-identifiable way (e.g., alias or device ID) on a website or in the app.

• Community Challenges: Periodically, we can run campaigns, such as “Help map rural connectivity this month – participants get 2x rewards in uncharted areas” or “Campus Challenge – top 10 contributors on each college campus win extra tokens.” This drives viral growth and targeted data collection . There’s also a referral system: invite a friend and if they join and contribute, you both get a bonus.

• Purpose & Community: Beyond monetary rewards, Authra frames participation as joining a global mission to improve internet transparency and reliability  . The messaging in-app and in communications emphasizes that contributors are “network citizen scientists” helping gather data to make networks better for everyone. This sense of purpose can significantly boost engagement and retention, as contributors feel part of something meaningful, not just gig workers.

The tone we set is that of a global community of “network citizen scientists.” We want users to feel not only that they are earning tokens, but also that they are part of a mission to improve internet transparency and reliability. This sense of purpose, combined with tangible rewards, helps with retention.

Privacy and User Control: TruePing’s adoption heavily depends on user trust, so we design it to be privacy-preserving and respectful:

• We do not collect personal info at sign-up – no name, no phone number, nothing. Users can remain pseudonymous  . If we introduce social features or leaderboards, users might choose a nickname, but that’s optional and not tied to their real identity.

• Location data is treated carefully: as described, it’s coarse and often hashed. The app might internally know your precise GPS for a moment to generate a proof, but it typically sends only a derived proof (like “grid cell X, time T, signed”). We never broadcast a user’s live location to others, and certainly not without consent.

• The app provides controls like the ability to pause data collection (say you enter a sensitive location or just want a break). Users can also configure if they want the app to run only under certain conditions (e.g. only when charging, or only when connected to WiFi to avoid mobile data usage).

• Transparency is key: we make the app’s code open source (at least the data collection parts and the on-device ML) so that the community can verify we’re not doing anything beyond what we claim (no hidden tracking, etc.). For more tech-savvy users, this is a confidence booster.

• As mentioned earlier, all contributions are anonymized and aggregated. The app itself only shows the user their own data. If an enterprise is looking at Terrascient, they see overall trends, not “John’s phone at 123 Main St had 200ms latency at 5pm.”

By giving users clear information and control, we comply with privacy laws and, more importantly, build the trust needed for them to keep the app installed long-term. We know that even with token rewards, if people fear their personal data is misused, they will opt out. Thus, privacy-by-design is not just a regulatory checkbox for us, but a foundational aspect of user experience.

User Utility: While many users will join for the earnings, we also want TruePing to be useful to them directly. The app doubles as a personal network quality dashboard:

• Users can view their own connectivity stats over time: e.g., a history of their average download speeds, latency, signal strength in different places. This empowers them to see if their provider is delivering as promised or if another carrier might serve them better  .

• We provide coverage maps or charts accessible to the user: for example, “Your city’s average 4G speed is X Mbps, you are above/below average,” or “Your neighborhood had 2 outages last week.” This contextualizes their experience.

• In-app alerts can notify users of issues: “There is a known outage in your area” or “Your WiFi is experiencing high packet loss.” This can help them troubleshoot – for instance, if they know it’s a provider issue, they won’t reset their router 10 times; or if it’s their WiFi, they can switch to cellular.

• We could even implement features like an automatic network switch: if the app detects the WiFi you’re on is performing poorly and your cellular is better, it could suggest or automatically trigger a switch for apps that allow it (this might be an advanced opt-in feature, and of course only if it doesn’t conflict with user’s data plans).

By giving users insight and potentially improving their connectivity (not just measuring it), TruePing becomes something they’d want to keep beyond just the monetary incentive. It’s akin to how fitness tracker apps give you data about yourself; here it’s about your digital connectivity health.

Developer SDK and API Strategy: The other side of TruePing is enabling developers and enterprises to tap into Authra’s capabilities. We provide a TruePing SDK that third-party app developers can embed, and a suite of APIs for querying data:

• The SDK can be embedded in other popular apps (with user permission). For example, a weather app or a mobile game could include TruePing’s SDK to let their users earn tokens while playing, effectively outsourcing the data collection. For example, someone could create a DeFi derivative that pays out if a certain region’s network uptime falls below X, using Authra data on-chain. In return, the app developer might get a cut of the rewards or other incentives (similar to how Tutela worked by paying app publishers). This strategy can massively accelerate adoption, as we piggyback on apps that already have millions of users. It’s a win-win: the app adds a passive income feature for its users, and Authra gains more coverage. The SDK is lightweight and runs the same tests as the full app (or maybe a subset if configured). We ensure it runs in a sandbox respecting user privacy, and the host app must disclose the data collection in its privacy policy (similar to how analytics SDKs are disclosed).

• APIs: Authra exposes RESTful and WebSocket APIs for key functionalities  . For example:

  • GET /api/v1/qoe?location=<area>&time_range=<t1,t2> – fetch aggregated QoE metrics (latency, throughput, etc.) for a location and time window.

  • GET /api/v1/presence?device_id=<id>&time=<t> – verify if a given device (or user identity, if linked) was present in a location at a given time (this could serve location verification queries).

  • WebSocket channel like /stream/qoe_changes – subscribe to real-time feed of QoE events (e.g., get notified if latency in any subscribed region exceeds X).

  • GET /api/v1/oracle/chain_health — normalized 0–100 health with component breakdown and timestamps (see Governance).

  • WS /stream/chain_events — live feed: sequencer rotations, DAC quorum dips, delayed-inbox force-includes, fraud-proof openings/resolutions, and anchor commits.

These APIs enable myriad use cases: a telecom NOC could integrate live Authra data into their dashboards, a smart contract oracle could call the presence API to unlock an action based on real-world location, a content provider could subscribe to QoE events to adapt streams dynamically, etc.

• Language SDKs: We also provide SDKs in common programming languages (Python, JavaScript, etc.) to make it easy for developers to use the API without dealing with low-level details. For example, a Python developer can pip install authra-sdk and do authra.get_qoe(area) to get data – under the hood it handles auth, queries, etc.

• Integration & Plugins: To drive enterprise adoption, we may consider building integrations for popular analytics platforms – e.g., a plugin for Splunk, or a connector for Tableau/PowerBI. This way, an enterprise can pull Authra data into their existing tools seamlessly. We want to meet enterprises where they are, not force them to reinvent their workflow.

• Data Access Models: For heavy users, we might offer bulk data access or even a dedicated database read replica where they can run their own SQL queries on Authra’s data. Some regulated clients might want an on-prem version – Terrascient can be deployed in such a mode where it houses a local copy of the necessary data.

The strategy is to make Authra’s data as easy to consume as possible – turning it effectively into an infrastructure API for the physical world’s network performance. The more developers build on Authra, the stickier and more valuable the ecosystem becomes (and the more burn of $ATRX via usage).

In summary, TruePing is where human users meet the network and where external systems plug in. By carefully balancing user engagement (through rewards and a good app experience) with developer friendliness (robust SDK/APIs), Authra creates a vibrant edge ecosystem. Millions of users can passively contribute and benefit, while countless applications and services can leverage the truth layer Authra provides – whether to enhance their own offerings or to enable entirely new functionalities (like smart contracts reacting to real-world SLAs, etc.). TruePing’s success is critical as it feeds the network; thus, we designed it to be as accessible and appealing as possible to drive adoption on a global scale.