The new NHS COVID-19 app, now available to download for free, is the fastest way to see if you’re at risk from coronavirus. The faster you know, the quicker you can alert and protect your loved ones and community.
The app has a number of tools to protect you, including contact tracing, local area alerts and venue check-in. It uses proven technology from Apple and Google, designed to protect every user’s privacy.
Anyone aged 16 and over is being asked to install the app on to their smartphone.
The app instructs users to self-isolate for 14 days if it detects they were nearby someone who has the virus. It also has a check-in scanner to alert owners if a venue they have visited is found to be an outbreak hotspot.
The app is available for smartphones only – not tablets, smartwatches or other devices.
To get started, go to Android’s Google Play or Apple’s App Store and search for “NHS Covid-19“.
The handsets must have Android 6.0 (released in 2015) or iOS 13.5 (released in May 2020) and Bluetooth 4.0 or higher. That excludes the iPhone 6 and older versions of Apple’s handsets.