Apple updated its COVID-19 screening app yesterday to version 4.0 but it didn’t appear to come with any user-facing changes based on the release notes. As it turns out, one noteworthy update is the option to anonymously share symptoms and health info with the CDC.
The release notes for Apple’s COVID-19 app update yesterday just say version 4.0 “includes bug fixes and improvements.” But it was curious Apple moving the app from version 3.1 to 4.0 without any notable changes.
As reported by TechCrunch, it turns out there is a noteworthy change with the latest version of the app, the ability to anonymously share your health info and symptoms with the CDC.
Apple has updated its own COVID-19 iOS app and website with new features to allow users to anonymously share info, including their age, number of existing health conditions, symptoms, potential exposure risks and the state in which they’re located. This info, which is not associated with any of their personal identifying data in any way, according to the company, will be used in an aggregated way to help inform the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and improve the organization’s COVID-19 screening protocol.
Apple has been regularly updating its COVID-19 screening app with new features and the latest official guidance from the CDC.
Apple’s COVID-19 screening app is a free download from the App Store.
More:
- Here’s how Apple and Google’s Exposure Notification API works while securing privacy
- How to manage COVID-19 exposure notifications on iPhone
- Which U.S. states are using Apple’s Exposure Notification API for COVID-19 contact tracing?
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