Apple Releases iOS 13.7 With Exposure Notifications System For COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Apple has today released iOS 13.7, an update that brings a new Exposure Notifications System to users without downloading an app to enable E...

Apple has today released iOS 13.7, an update that brings a new Exposure Notifications System to users without downloading an app to enable Exposure Notifications on their devices. The update can now be downloaded and installed via the Settings app, then General -> Software Update.

Today's update includes the so-called Exposure Notifications Express system that allows public health authorities to use the Exposure Notifications System without the need for them to build and maintain an app. Although, public health authorities still reserve the right of having full control over the system, for example, how the notifications are triggered and what to do if you got exposed to COVID-19.

In a statement, Apple and Google said:

“As the next step in our work with public health authorities on Exposure Notifications, we are making it easier and faster for them to use the Exposure Notifications System without the need for them to build and maintain an app. Exposure Notifications Express provides another option for public health authorities to supplement their existing contact tracing operations with technology without compromising on the project’s core tenets of user privacy and security. Existing apps using the Exposure Notification API will be compatible with Exposure Notifications Express, and we are committed to supporting public health authorities that have deployed or are building custom apps.”

Following your devices updated to iOS 13.7, it's advised that you should enable Exposure Notifications in the Settings app, so your iPhone will monitor begin using Bluetooth to log possible exposures, and hopefully, you will get notified of a potential COVID-19 exposure based on the guidelines established by your local public health authority.

25 states and territories in the US are exploring Exposure Notifications System solutions, according to Apple and Google. Meanwhile, the first public health authorities in the United States will be adopting the Exposure Notification Express system are Maryland, Nevada, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.