NHS COVID-19 mobile app

Every person who downloads the NHS COVID-19 app will be helping in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19). The app will help the NHS understand where and how quickly the virus is spreading, so we can respond quickly and effectively. The app helps the NHS track the virus, not individuals. The app is used to notify users if they come into contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus. The app also allows people to report symptoms, order a coronavirus test, and check into venues by scanning a QR code. 

The app does all this while protecting users' anonymity. Nobody, including the government, will know who or where a particular user is.
 

If you have an Apple phone, you can download the app from the Apple App Store. If you have an Android phone, you can download it from Google Play.  

The app is designed for use on smartphones only, not tablets. This is because for contact tracing to be effective, it needs to be on a device that you carry with you most of the time.  

Even if you do not have a compatible smartphone yourself, you will still benefit from other people downloading the app. This is because even low level use of the app will help us understand more about how the virus spreads and will support the wider programme, which has been designed to fight the virus. The app works in addition to the regular contact tracing that is already taking place throughout the UK. 

The app logs the distance between your phone and other phones nearby that also have the app installed. It measures this distance using Bluetooth. This log of anonymous proximity information will be stored securely on your phone.  

If you become unwell with symptoms of COVID-19, you should inform the NHS COVID-19 app. The app then informs the NHS and triggers an anonymous notification to other app users with whom you came into significant contact over the previous few days.  

Precisely which other app users are notified will be determined by a contact risk model. NHS doctors and scientists will continuously update this to make it as accurate as possible.  

The NHS Test and Trace app is entirely voluntary and you can choose whether or not to download it. You can also uninstall and delete the app whenever you like. 
 
The app is not pushed automatically to smartphones. However, if you share an Apple or Google ID, it's possible that the app is installed on your smartphone because a family member has installed it on another smartphone. You can read more information about this: 

• Manage your Apple ID and iCloud settings 

• Manage your Google Account 

You should download the app even if you've tested positive for coronavirus before, or think you may have had it. If you've had coronavirus, you probably have some immunity to it, which means you may not get infected again for a while. However, it’s not clear how long your immunity will last, so it’s possible that you could still become infected. Also, if you come into contact with an infected person, you could get the virus on your belongings and pass it on. 
 
Downloading the app will help protect your family, friends and those in your community as well as yourself. This is because the app supports the NHS's wider programme to stop the spread of the virus, called NHS Test and Trace. The quicker we can stop the spread of the virus, the sooner we can get back to a more normal life. 

You should download and use the app even if you have had your vaccine (one or both doses). Although the vaccine protects you from serious illness caused by the virus, you could still carry it and pass it on to other people. You should also use the app when checking in to shops and venues for contact tracing reasons.

Downloading the app will help to protect your family, friends and those in your community, as well as yourself.

The app is designed for use on phones only.  It’s not designed for use on laptops, PCs or Apple watches.  It’s only effective if you have it on a device that is with you the most of the time. 

 The app is designed to be used by one person per phone. You should download and use the app on your own smartphone if you have one. 
 
If you have more than one phone, install the app on the phone you use most often and carry this with you at all times.  If the phone you use most often is a work phone, and you’re having trouble downloading the app, please check with your employer.

The app uses Bluetooth Low Energy, which should ensure that the battery use is as minimal as possible. NHSx has tested the app’s use of battery and will continue to monitor its impact on battery life.  

No. The app uses Bluetooth which gives the phone a unique code – it does not identify the person. The app can then tell if a unique code has been near another unique code that has reported COVID-19 symptoms. It does not identify the person or store any personal data. 

There is no instant alerting. During the daytime, users should expect an alert within a few hours of another app user with whom they had significant contact reporting symptoms of COVID-19. The precise details will depend on the number and length of contacts.  

The NHS COVID-19 App alerts you if you have been near someone who has self-reported symptoms of COVID-19. You can then take action to protect family, friends and the NHS. Everyone alerted will get advice on what to do next.