This is how NHS contact-tracing app actually works

The NHS contact tracing app is being developed and will be a part of a wider strategy to face Covid pandemic.

The UK finally testing a contact-tracing app that will help people to stop the virus spread, officially known as NHS Covid-19. This app made for iOS and Android and now is being trialed in the Isle of Wight and should be available for the rest of the country soon.

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How NHS contact-tracing app work

This app will use Bluetooth technology to watch for connections to other phones that are also running the app, and build up a picture of who the owners of those phones may have been in contact with. If one person in that network says they have symptoms of Covid-19, it will trigger an alert on other people’s phones to encourage them to stay at home. This app is a part of the government’s effort to fight against Covid-19 and using Bluetooth to keep an anonymous log of everyone you come into close contact with.

When they, or yourself, present symptoms of Covid-19, tell the app and it will then alert anyone that has been in close proximity.

Once installed and set up, the app will run in the background, keeping a log of everyone you pass. Users will need to provide the first part of their postcode and give the app permission to use Bluetooth, as well as its ability to receive notifications. Bluetooth will need to be kept on, though the NHS has been clear that it uses a low power version of the technology that should not drain batteries. When a person is feeling unwell, they need to send a report, stating whether they are experiencing a high temperature and a continuous cough, and when these symptoms started. If it appears they might have the virus, the person will be told to book a test.

Contact tracing is really dependent on several crucial factors, though NHSX boss Matthew Gould has warned it will not be a “silver bullet”. “The app is exciting, but it’s also not a silver bullet or a standalone solution, it’s part of this wider strategy … it has to be seen as part of this strategy alongside the expansion of testing and human contact tracing. The app is also voluntary, so its effectiveness will rely on the number of people actually using it.”