iPhones to add contact-tracing that can work without UK app

Apple is preparing to launch a version of its contact-tracing technology that can work without the need for a government health app.

New software coming to iPhones, which is still being tested but is expected to be launched in September, will allow users to turn on Bluetooth contact-tracing on any iPhone.

This would mean users who have not downloaded the UK’s contact-tracing app could still benefit from the software.

The contact-tracing software being developed by tech giants Apple and Google is not an app on its own, but rather the backbone technology built directly into its operating systems.

On Tuesday, Beta testers were offered the download that “lets you opt-in to the COVID-19 Exposure Notifications system without the need to download an app”. The technology will be available to more users in a few weeks.

The US companies planned to make this technology available to anyone, not only those who download apps developed by local health authorities.

Contact-tracing technology works using Bluetooth signals. Phones emit these low-energy signals and when two come into close contact, around 2 metres for 15 minutes, they perform a digital handshake.

If one user later experiences coronavirus symptoms, they can report it into their contact-tracing app. This app then warns other users.

But because Apple and Google’s system is built into the phones themselves, not just using an app, it will, ultimately, be able to warn any iPhone or Android phone user with the latest software.

The system is also decentralised, meaning it does not rely on a central government system, and can work with apps in other countries that are built on the same technology.

Apple and Google’s software application will not have as many features as the Government’s new contact tracing app. The app is currently being trialed on the Isle of Wight and in the London borough of Newham. It will not include options such as explaining how to book a test. The Government’s new app also includes a QR code scanner that can check users in to pubs or restaurants.