IOS 13.5 was released yesterday and many were interested in learning about the features added for COVID-19.
Apple's new mobile operating system makes facial recognition easier if you're wearing a mask, and selecting the intreatmentof the password appears much faster.
But the new version also brings a COVID-19 logging API to the device. The feature is opt-in which means you don't have to send information from your device (or download) if you don't want to.
The new COVID-19 update feature added to iOS 13.5 is enabled by default if the API is supported in the country where you live.
For example, as you will see below in Greece the function is disabled as this function is not yet supported. If you live in a country that has access to the API, you can disable logging and alerts, following the steps below.
Open the Settings app and go to the Privacy - Health section.
At the top, you will see "COVID-19 Exposure Logging". Press it. On the next screen, turn the feature on or off. You must have Bluetooth enabled for the feature to work.
The ability to record information about COVID-19 will appear on all devices that have been upgraded to iOS 13.5, but as mentioned above it is not available in all countries. So if you press to activate the function in Greece you will see it message "Not available in your area".
According to the company, the new possibility may come later in Greece, but there are no guarantees for that.
What is virus exposure recording?
Exposure logging tracks people who have been in contact with other people. It collects the information via Bluetooth and the data according to the manufacturers it is not personal. Your device is assigned a random identifier that is not associated with your Apple ID, phone number, or any other personal information you have on your device.
This information is exchanged between other devices. They keep a log of who was close to whom. When a person reports that they have been infected with COVID-19, the people they come in contact with are notified. They do not receive information about the infected person, as Apple states that it protects the user's privacy.
Once you know you may have come in contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive, you can choose to go into quarantine and wait for symptoms to appear or get tested.
