This app uses Bluetooth to tell you if you have been exposed to COVID-19 in California

A new app that allows people to know if they have been exposed to COVID-19 goes live in California on Thursday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom discussed the CA Notify app during his Monday press conference. The app allows a person to opt in to receive notifications informing them if they have been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. It also lets users tell others if they have tested positive themselves.

The app does not track a user’s location, nor does it share a user’s identity.

“We value privacy, California has long been a leader in terms of advancing the cause and we don’t want to do anything to set that cause back,” Newsom said.

The app was developed in partnership with tech giants Apple and Google, and the two companies plan to promote it, Newsom said.

The app uses Bluetooth technology to exchange random codes between users’ phones. If a user tests positive, they enter a verification code into their phone app and it notifies any other app user who was within six feet for 15 minutes or more of possible exposure.

The app began as a pilot program on seven University of California campuses, and currently has a quarter million users, Newsom said.

The governor on Monday was asked about the program’s effectiveness, given low user participation in other states that have similar programs.

“This is only as good as people’s adaptation and utilization. Opting in. It’s not an opt out, you make the decision. It’s not a contact tracing app, it’s a notification app,” Newsom said.

The governor said that California has an “innovative spirit” and a willingness to be on the cutting edge of technology, and that the effort will be helped by the fact that Apple and Google are headquartered in the state.

“I’m very, very sober about the adoption rate and I don’t expect tens of millions of people. Quite the contrary. We are hoping that there will be enough to make this meaningful.”

This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 10:08 AM with the headline "This app uses Bluetooth to tell you if you have been exposed to COVID-19 in California."