More Countries Implement Apple/Google API in Contact Tracing Apps, Including Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia

Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia are among the latest countries to implement Apple's and Google's jointly developed Exposure Notification API in their respective COVID-19 contact tracing apps, available on the App Store.

saudi arabia covid app
Apple released the Exposure Notification API as part of iOS 13.5 last month. At the time, Apple said that 22 countries had requested and received access to the API, with the U.S. states of Alabama, North Dakota, and South Carolina also committed to using the API. Some other participating countries include Italy, Latvia, and Switzerland.

Apple and Google created this API to allow iPhones and Android smartphones to interface with one another for contact tracing purposes. If and when you happen to be nearby someone who later tests positive for COVID-19, you can receive a notification and take the appropriate steps to self isolate and seek medical help if necessary.

The API relies on Bluetooth, is designed with privacy in mind, and is disabled by default. Read our Exposure Notification guide for more details.

(Thanks to Nicolas Oestreich of iFun.de, Piotr Kurnat, and Hussain!)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 17 Pro Max Teardown Reveals Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 Modem for 5G

Friday September 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone Air is equipped with Apple's custom C1X modem for cellular connectivity, all of the iPhone 17 models are outfitted with Qualcomm modems still. A teardown video shared on Chinese platform Bilibili today (via Reddit) appears to confirm the iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem in particular. The same modem is likely used in the iPhone 17 and iPhone ...
iphone 17 pro max techwoven

Here Are The Best Cases You Can Buy for Your New iPhone 17 and iPhone Air

Friday September 19, 2025 6:46 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhones launch today, and there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to protecting your new device from drops and scratches. In this article, we're taking a look at some of the best options for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air cases, as well as a few charging accessories. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design Draws Criticism From Users

Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected. Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update. Complaints There are a long...
iphone 17 pro inside

iPhone 17 Teardowns Confirm SIM and eSIM-Only Battery Capacities

Friday September 19, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
YouTube channel REWA Technology today shared an iPhone 17 Pro teardown video, offering a closer look inside the model with a SIM card tray. We are still waiting for repair website iFixit to share a more comprehensive teardown of the latest iPhone models, but this video provides a good look in the meantime. The device features various internal design changes, including larger rear camera...

Top Rated Comments

AustinIllini Avatar
69 months ago
Oh look! The US is behind again. no kidding
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
foobarbaz Avatar
69 months ago

While a recent poll suggests that 70% of Americans refuse to use a contact tracing app-

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/06/more-than-7-in-10-americans-dont-want-contact-tracing-data-shows/
Wow, such a privacy minded country. No wonder Facebook and Google are struggling to survive …
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
needsomecoffee Avatar
69 months ago
Germany's code is available for review on Github.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveMcM76 Avatar
69 months ago

Whereas in the UK we're still planning to use a Centralised system....
Ah yes our wonderful Track and Trace system that will be fully ready to go by the end of April... erm, we meant May... ok, maybe June... look, we might have bits of it running by September! ?‍♂️
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
calstanford Avatar
69 months ago
Beyond idiotic to do this by state only in the US. What’s the Federal Government even good for then? How is a tracing app useful if so many people cross state borders every day.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tom.humphrey Avatar
69 months ago
Whereas in the UK we're still planning to use a Centralised system....
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)