While Sam and Jane chat, their phones note each others’ Bluetooth signals and the app lists them securely as random numbers. Personal information and location are never recorded.
The Covid Watch Smartphone App
Learn how the Covid Watch App is working at the University of Arizona.
Excerpt from Arizona Illustrated story, “Opening Safer” Arizona Public Media.
How to Get Started
Download the app
All you have to do is download the app from Google Play or the App Store and install it, just like you would any other app on your phone.
Keep your information and data secure
No data or personally identifiable information is ever collected by the app. Instead, your phone simply notes other app users’ anonymous signals.
Anonymously alert others
If you test positive for COVID-19, you can enter your verified test result in Covid Watch. The app would then send an anonymous notification only to others you came into close contact, based on the private and secure signals noted before.
Get next steps to take
If someone you came into contact with chooses to enter their verified and positive test result, you will receive an anonymous alert, which will also include your estimated risk level and the next steps you should take.
Covid Watch protects your privacy while you help fight COVID-19
Covid Watch developed a way for people to send each other notifications if they might have been exposed to COVID-19. We use anonymous, local Bluetooth signals to help you take action.
Here’s how it works:
Always Anonymous
Notify Others
Days later, Sam is positively diagnosed with COVID-19. He shares his diagnosis with the app, which then notifies others who were nearby of possible exposure.
Get Notifications
Jane gets a notification saying she was near an anonymous person who tested positive. The app explains what to do next and how to find local resources.
Help Communities
By enabling notifications and staying home when at risk of exposing others, they help prevent the spread of COVID-19 within their communities.
