COVID is on the rise again, and your iPhone can help you stay safe to some extent. Here’s how to make it work.
The spread of COVID is at an all-time high across various countries and for most of you reading this, you must be prepared to stay safe from the infection. While it’s impossible to completely isolate yourself from the world, you can certainly go a long way in keeping yourself as safe and secure as possible. Masks are certainly an easy way to keep yourself safe but did you know that you can use your iPhone as a tool to protect yourself from COVID? Yes, no kidding! The iPhone you use can actually warn you about COVID exposure.
As the COVID pandemic peaked, Apple released a new feature called Contact Notifications on iOS. This feature was made available immediately on running iPhone iOS 13 and it’s also included in newer devices. If you want to proactively monitor your exposure to COVID, here’s what you need to do.
How Contact Notifications on iPhone works
– Your iPhone uses Bluetooth to keep logs throughout the day, keeping track of people who are reported to be infected. This applies to all iOS and Android phones that have Contact Notification enabled, and keep a rotating 14-day log of their shared identifiers.
– People can report that they have COVID-19 on their iPhone. If someone is diagnosed positive, they can anonymously report and notify people who have been near them.
– If you have been exposed, your public health authority can notify you. Your Iphone will check your logs for contact with anyone who has reported a positive diagnosis of COVID-19. If the exposure exceeds the guidelines of the public health authority, you will be notified.
How to enable it?
Go to the Settings app and then scroll down to the Contact Notifications section. You then need to enable the Contact Notification feature and follow the on-screen instructions.
Will Contact Notifications work in India?
Due to local regulations, Contact Notifications on iPhones and Android devices are not available in India. Indian users need to rely on Aarogya Setu app for contact tracing.
