Beware! COVID is surging, here is how to use your iPhone 14, 13, 12 to stay safe

COVID spread is at an all time high across various countries and for most of you reading this, you must be preparing to stay safe from the infection. While a complete isolation from the world isn’t possible, you can certainly go a long way to keep yourself as safe and secure as possible. A face mask is certainly a way to keep yourself safe easily but did you know you can use your iPhone as a tool to protect yourself from the COVID? Yes, no kidding! The iPhone you use can actually warn you from COVID exposure.

When the COVID pandemic was at its peak, Apple released a new feature called Exposure Notifications on iOS. The feature was made immediately available on iPhones running iOS 13 and it was brought on to newer devices as well. If you want to actively track exposure to COVID, here is what you need to do.

How Exposure Notifications Work on iPhone

– Your iPhone uses Bluetooth to keep a log throughout the day, keeping a track of people who are reportedly infected. This includes all iOS and Android phones that have Exposure Notifications turned on, and the keeps a rolling 14-day log of their shared identifiers.

– People can report that they have COVID-19 on their iPhones. If someone gets a positive diagnosis, they can report it and anonymously notify those who have been near them.

– If you’ve been exposed, your public health authority can notify you. Your iPhone will check your log for exposure to anyone who has reported a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. If an exposure exceeds your public health authority’s guidelines, you will be notified.

How to enable it?

Go to the Settings app and scroll down to Exposure Notifications. Then you need to turn on Exposure Notifications and follow the on-screen instructions.

Does Exposure notifications work in India?

Due to local regulations, Exposure Notifications on iPhones and Android devices don’t work in India. Indian users need to rely on Aarogya Setu app for contact tracing.