Tech Reference

How to enable COVID-19 contact tracing on your iPhone, and receive periodic exposure notifications

Written by Marissa Perino and William Antonelli
apple smart phone iphone 11 pro
It should only take a few moments to turn on COVID-19 contact tracing on your iPhone. Crystal Cox/Business Insider
Updated
Read in app

It's been months since Apple and Google announced that contact tracing would be coming to iPhone and Android devices — but it's only recently that they've actually started to arrive.

If you update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS, you can now turn on exposure notifications. This lets your phone use Bluetooth to alert you when you're near someone with COVID-19 symptoms.

Here's how to make sure your iPhone is updated, and enable exposure notifications.

How to enable COVID-19 exposure notifications on your iPhone

First, you need to make sure you've updated your iPhone to iOS 13.7 or newer. If you have Automatic Updates turned on, you might already have it.

To check which software version you're currently using, or to manually install the latest one, you'll need to access the "General" tab of your Settings app. There, you can update your iPhone.

iOS 13.7 COVID 19 contact tracing
You'll need to keep your phone up-to-date.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

How to activate COVID-19 exposure notifications on your iPhone

1. Once you've updated, open the Settings app again.

2. Scroll down and locate the "Exposure Notifications" tab.

iphone exposure notifications 1.PNG
Open the "Exposure Notifications" menu.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

3. At the top of the page, tap "Turn On Exposure Notifications," and then tap "Continue" in the menu that appears.

iphone exposure notifications 2.PNG
You can also set it so you'll be notified when tracking apps become available in your area.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

4. You'll now be asked to select your country, and possibly your region or state. Do so, and you'll be told whether or not your region has a contact tracing app. If it does, tap "Open App Store" to find it. If it doesn't, you'll have to wait to enable any notifications.

iphone exposure notifications 6
Not all regions have tracing apps.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

5. Download your region-specific tracking app and open it. Once you do, you'll be asked to enable tracking notifications and regular notifications — enable both.

iphone exposure notifications 5
There are two types of notifications to enable.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

You should now be alerted whenever you're exposed to someone who has COVID-19, and has noted it in their own tracking app.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Read next

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

mperino
Marissa Perino
Marissa Perino is a former editorial intern covering executive lifestyle. She previously worked at Cold Lips in London and Creative Nonfiction in Pittsburgh. She studied journalism and communications at the University of Pittsburgh, along with creative writing. Find her on Twitter: @mlperino.
WillAntonelli
William Antonelli
ExperienceWilliam joined Business Insider in 2019 to help found Tech Reference, a vertical dedicated to answering the internet’s most common questions about the gadgets they buy. In that role, he helped grow the vertical into a powerhouse that attracted over 20 million pageviews a month. He also wrote and edited one of Business Insider’s most successful stories: How to take a screenshot on Windows.William later became one of Business Insider's lead consumer tech reporters, writing roundups and reviews about gadgets ranging from smartphones to gaming PCs. He also established key industry contacts at brands like Apple, Google, Nintendo, and more. He’s also cited on the Wikipedia page for Among Us, an honor above all others.William’s work for Business Insider has included reviewing the best gaming laptops, publishing previews of new Nintendo games and consoles, and comparing Apple’s latest releases so readers know what’s worth their money. Across all assignments, he’s been praised for his depth of knowledge and research skills.In addition to his work at Business Insider, William’s writing has appeared in outlets like The Guardian, Polygon, Thomson Reuters’ Context, and more. He's also a regular guest on TV stations like CBS and NBC, where he provides expert analysis on AI, consumer tech, and Silicon Valley moguls.Why you can trust WilliamWilliam believes the goal of journalism should be to tell the truth, not sell products. In his reviews, William never hesitates to call out a product’s flaws, but he also has no issue complimenting features that genuinely add value.When reviewing a product, William doesn’t test it in a vacuum. He tries to incorporate each product into his daily routine to get a better sense of how it’ll work for the everyday user. And when writing, he focuses on reader comprehension. He’s talented at explaining complicated concepts in ways that all readers can understand, without losing depth or nuance — or his distinctively engaging voice.Expertise
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Consumer Technology (Laptops, PCs, video games and gaming consoles, smartphones, more)
  • Social Media (TikTok, X, Meta, more)
  • Internet Culture (Memes, influencers, viral trends)
  • Disinformation
EducationWilliam graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 2018. There, he studied English, communications, and adolescent education, alongside reporting news for the university’s radio and TV stations.Outside workWhen he’s not reporting, you can usually find William biking through Central Park, playing video games, or at home listening to music and writing fanfiction. He’s also a co-manager of the New York Mandolin Ensemble, one of NYC’s premier string orchestras.You can contact him at w.antonelli322@gmail.com, visit his official website at williamantonelli.com, or follow him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher and BlueSky @wantonelli.bsky.social.