Guidance

[Withdrawn] NHS COVID-19 app: what the app does

Updated 28 March 2023

This guidance was withdrawn on

The NHS COVID-19 app has closed down, so this content is out of date.

It is important that you continue to follow the latest guidance to protect yourself and others:

This includes reporting NHS lateral flow test results on GOV.UK. If you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatment, you must report your result so the NHS can contact you about treatment.

Find out about:

Tynnwyd y canllawiau hyn yn ôl ar 27 Ebrill 2023

Mae ap COVID-19 y GIG wedi cau.

Mae’r cynnwys hwn wedi dyddio.

Mae’n bwysig eich bod yn parhau i ddilyn y canllawiau diweddaraf i ddiogelu hun ac eraill:

Mae hyn yn cynnwys adrodd canlyniadau profion llif unffordd y GIG ar GOV.UK. Os ydych yn gymwys ar gyfer triniaeth COVID-19, rhaid i chi adrodd eich canlyniad fel y gall y GIG gysylltu â chi ynglŷn â thriniaeth.

Dysgwch:

Applies to England and Wales

© Crown copyright 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-covid-19-app-user-guide/nhs-covid-19-app-what-the-app-does

The app includes a number of features to help you protect yourself and others, including:

  • getting alerts to let you know if you may be at risk from (coronavirus) COVID-19
  • a symptoms checker
  • the latest advice based on your circumstances
  • general information on COVID-19
  • entering a positive result (from an NHS or paid-for test) to alert others if they may be at risk

Alerts

The NHS COVID-19 app will send alerts in the following situations.

  1. You’ve been in close contact with someone who has reported testing positive for COVID-19.
  2. National policy has changed.
  3. Information about your local area has changed.
  4. You have paused contact tracing and set a reminder to turn it back on.
  5. Our guidance to you has changed. For example, your countdown timer has ended.
  6. You are advised to update your app to the latest version.
  7. You did not select ‘Notify others’ or ‘Do not notify others’ and over 24 hours have passed since entering a positive test result.

Close contact alerts

Your phone will tell you when you have been in close contact with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19.

The alert will say:

Close contact notification. You have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Tap here for more advice.

Read the latest advice for England

Read the latest advice for Wales

Latest information

You can access the relevant websites about COVID-19 and support available through the ‘COVID-19 guidance’ button on the home screen of the app.

You may receive a notification when national information changes, or if you live in an area where new restrictions, testing opportunities or extra precautions are in place. You can read more by selecting the notification, or visiting the app home screen.

If you need to show your vaccination status (NHS COVID pass)

You cannot use the NHS COVID-19 app to show your vaccination status as it does not hold this information.

You can get an NHS COVID pass showing your vaccination status using the online NHS COVID pass service.

In England, you can also use the NHS app.

The NHS app is a separate app to the NHS COVID-19 app, which is the official COVID-19 contact tracing app for England and Wales. We recommend you download and use both if you live in England.

There is more information on:

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