Apple releases iOS 13.7 with support for new automatic COVID-19 notification system
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 13.7, adding support for a new exposure notification system for powering COVID-19 tracking. The system is an extension of the existing coronavirus contact tracing efforts, but it removes the burden on states of having to build a dedicated app. News of the new software framework was first announced earlier today in a joint statement from Apple and Google.
This native support was expected, as it was announced when the exposure notification API — developed collaboratively between Apple and Google — was revealed in April. But at the time, we didn’t know exactly when it would arrive.
Here’s how it will work, from The Verge’s report on the announcement:
Under the new system, participating health departments...