Apple and Google Reveal How COVID-19 Exposure Notification Apps Will Function

Apple and Google today are providing public health authorities around the world with new resources to help them make COVID-19 exposure notification apps, including sample user interfaces and sample code for iOS and Android.

iOS 13.5 will include a new menu in Settings > Health > COVID-19 Exposure Logging that indicates which public health authority app a user is using, in addition to showing the number of times that a user's exposure log has been checked in the past 14 days.

covid 19 exposure app settings
If a user is potentially exposed to COVID-19, they would receive a push notification from the public health authority's app.

covid 19 app positive exposure
Here's what the app could display when a user goes to report a positive COVID-19 diagnosis:

sample covid 19 report positive
Apple and Google today also shared a list of requirements that all developers of apps that use their Exposure Notifications API must adhere to:

  • Apps must be created by or for a government public health authority and they can only be used for COVID-19 response efforts.
  • Apps must require users to consent before the app can use the API.
  • Apps must require users to consent before sharing a positive test result with the public health authority.
  • Apps should only collect the minimum amount of data necessary and can only use that data for COVID-19 response efforts. All other uses of user data, including targeting advertising, is not permitted.
  • Apps are prohibited from seeking permission to access Location Services.
  • Use of the API will be restricted to one app per country to promote high user adoption and avoid fragmentation. If a country has opted for a regional or state approach, Apple and Google are prepared to support those authorities.

Last week, Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 13.5 with the code needed to run apps built using the Exposure Notifications API, and it continues to target mid-May for a public release of the software update. Apple also released the first beta of Xcode 11.5 with a new version of the iOS SDK incorporating the API.

Apple and Google said their API is just one component of the broader efforts that public health authorities are undertaking worldwide to help curb the pandemic, including testing, traditional contact tracing, and containment.

For more details on the API, read our previous coverage and Apple's FAQ.

Top Rated Comments

paradox00 Avatar
47 months ago

Hopefully the OS will be updated for every single flu season, every single measles outbreak, in every town with a meningitis outbreak, and every single time someone sneezes so we can all feel safe and comfy around each other forever and ever.
Hopefully you educate yourself (using reputable sources) on the differences between Covid-19 and the flu and stop spreading misinformation.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
480951 Avatar
47 months ago

Hopefully the OS will be updated for every single flu season, every single measles outbreak, in every town with a meningitis outbreak, and every single time someone sneezes so we can all feel safe and comfy around each other forever and ever.
Good insight Texas, comparing the worst pandemic in 100 years to the flu. This is why your country has the highest death rate and cases on earth.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DoogH Avatar
47 months ago

So based on this new information, Apple and Google will allow individual Country apps to be added even though they will collect personal data.
Nope, the API prohibits collecting user data, prohibits GPS, and anonymizes contacts.

Does everyone react this strongly when an app requests access to use your GPS? Imo, that’s much more of a concern than this.

It’s GOOD to be paranoid about privacy. But imo, they’re being plenty cautious here.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechieGeek Avatar
47 months ago
TheVerge shared a lot more screenshots of the user flows, if folks are interested: https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/4/21246512/apple-google-code-sample-ui-ios-android-contact-tracing-exposure-notification
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
47 months ago

Hopefully the OS will be updated for every single flu season, every single measles outbreak, in every town with a meningitis outbreak, and every single time someone sneezes so we can all feel safe and comfy around each other forever and ever.
Of course that's ridiculous. But go ahead and stir the pot.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
47 months ago
No way I'm letting Apple track m—

Apps are prohibited from seeking permission to access Location Services.
…well, still. :mad:
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

'All-Screen' iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development

Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
12

Apple to Launch Two iPad Air and Two OLED iPad Pro Models Early Next Year

Wednesday December 6, 2023 9:53 am PST by
To boost falling iPad sales, Apple has a major refresh planned for the iPad lineup in early 2024, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple plans to debut new iPad Air and iPad Pro models, both of which will feature notable changes. The iPad Air will come in two sizes like the iPad Pro for the first time. The smaller model will continue to measure in at 10.9 inches, but the larger version...
New iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Release Notes: All New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday December 6, 2023 7:17 am PST by
Apple has shared the full release notes for iOS 17.2, which is in the final stage of beta testing and should be released to the public next week. iOS 17.2 includes a long list of new features and changes, including a Journal app, spatial video recording on iPhone 15 Pro models, several improvements to the Messages and Weather apps, a Favorite Songs playlist in Apple Music, and more. iOS...
magsafe blue 2

iOS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...