Washington Exposure Notifications (WA Notify) is an important tool to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Just like wearing a mask, distancing and keeping gatherings small, WA Notify is a simple tool to protect our community. WA Notify works through smartphones, without sharing any personal information, to alert users if they may have been exposed to COVID-19. It is completely private, and doesn’t know or track who you are or where you go. Studies show that the more people who use exposure notification technology, the greater the benefit. Data models in Washington state show that even a small number of people using WA Notify would reduce infections and deaths.
iPhone users:
1. Go to Settings
2. Scroll down to Exposure Notifications
3. Click “Turn On Exposure Notifications”
4. Select United States
5. Select Washington
Android users:
1. Go to the Google Play Store
2. Search WA Exposure Notifications to find the app
3. Download the Washington Exposure Notifications app
Once you add WA Notify to your phone, here’s how it works to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- When two people using WA Notify on their smartphones are near each other, their phones exchange random codes using Bluetooth. The code is completely anonymous, with no location tracking or exchange of personal information.
- When someone in Washington tests positive and public health reaches out to them, they will be asked if they have WA Notify and given a verification code.
- The person who tests positive then enters the verification code into WA Notify. This is voluntary.
- Anyone who also has WA Notify and has been near the user who tested positive for a significant length of time in the last 14 days will receive an anonymous alert that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
- Notifications have a link to information about what to do next to protect yourself and others. They do not contain any information about who tested positive or where the exposure may have happened.
FAQs
Do I have to pay for WA Notify?
No. WA Notify is free.
Is WA Notify a contact tracing app?
No. Contact tracing identifies who a person that tests positive for COVID-19 has been in contact with. WA Notify does not track or trace information about the people you are in contact with, so it doesn’t do “contact tracing.” The app doesn’t collect or exchange any personal information, so it isn’t possible for any entity to know who you have been in contact with.
Do I need WA Notify if I’ve been vaccinated?
Yes. Even after you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you still need to practice the usual pandemic precautions. Vaccines are an effective way to protect yourself, but there is still a small risk that you could become infected or infect others who have not been vaccinated.
For more information, go to WANotify.org.