Apple Updates COVID-19 App With New CDC Recommendations for Healthcare Workers and Best Practices for Quarantining - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Updates COVID-19 App With New CDC Recommendations for Healthcare Workers and Best Practices for Quarantining

Apple today updated its COVID-19 screening app, created to help people stay informed and take the proper steps to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

applecovid19app
Today's update includes updated recommendations for healthcare workers to align with CDC guidelines, plus best practices for quarantining if you've been exposed to COVID-19.

The app update also adds new information for pregnancy and newborns. Apple has also updated its accompanying COVID-19 website to provide the same new information for those who prefer to use the website.

Apple created the COVID-19 app and website in partnership with the CDC, White House Coronavirus Task Force, and FEMA. Along with the features introduced today, the tools provided by Apple let users answer a series of questions on risk factors, recent exposure, and symptoms to receive CDC recommendations on the next steps that they need to take.

The screening tool is available to anyone who is 18 years or older in the United States. Data provided in the COVID-19 app and on the website is not shared with Apple, the CDC, or other government agencies.

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:36 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored smart home hub will have an iMac G4-style design and a host of unique features, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. The smart home hub is said to feature a square 6-inch display, with variants that can be placed on a countertop or mounted on a wall. It features a single FaceTime camera on the front, with microphones and speakers in its connected base. Gurman described the...
HomePod minis on gradient feature 1 1

Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:04 am PDT by
Apple plans to introduce a series of new smart home products on Tuesday, October 13, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple reportedly plans to debut its long-awaited smart home hub device, a new HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV on the date. The new HomePod mini and Apple TV are set to retain their existing designs, but tout faster chips to support Siri AI. The new HomePod mini will...
iPhone Duo Open

iPhone Duo Reportedly Facing Production Problems Ahead of Launch

Tuesday September 29, 2026 6:16 am PDT by
The iPhone Duo is reportedly facing production difficulties ahead of its October launch, with early output expected to be limited. A person said to be close to Foxconn's supply chain told China's Jiemian News that final assembly yields for Apple's first foldable iPhone were only slightly above 60% as of September 17. The source said that, under Apple's current quality standards, it could...

Top Rated Comments

NickName99 Avatar
83 months ago

This whole contact app thing is super creepy....so much room for governmental abuse.
When did Apple become....Google!!!??? :eek:
The US government is reporting 85,000 Americans dead from coronavirus in the past couple months. Would you rather be part of the problem, or part of the solution?

Edit: three days later, now it’s over 90,000 Americans.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
83 months ago
Sounds like you’re not very concerned about the 85,000+ Americans who have died in the past couple months. How many lives lost will it take for you to take it seriously?
Let’s apply this new found concern to everything that causes death. I’m more concerned about heart conditions, car accidents, flu, smoking, drinking, etc. I got apps for all of these and now try to keep up with running death tolls on these daily. Because I care. And I must do everything I can possibly do to be 100% safe.

Thanks man. You’ve awakened me to a world of being a nutjob. I gave up smoking, drinking, sold my car, quit my job, wear facemasks, and looking into aluminum foil.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
83 months ago

The US government is reporting 85,000 Americans dead from coronavirus in the past couple months. Would you rather be part of the problem, or part of the solution?
Reported yes.
But vast majority of these 85,000 died with coronavirus, not from coronavirus. They had other illnesses like cancer, etc..., and they were counted as cv deaths because they also had cv. Internet is full of reports to this account.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Professor Rucy Avatar
83 months ago

The US government is reporting 85,000 Americans dead from coronavirus in the past couple months. Would you rather be part of the problem, or part of the solution?
If you actually believe that an overwhelming majority of Americans—including the elderly, the most vulnerable to terminal illness in general—will even have an ounce of awareness of this iOS update to make any difference, you are living in a fantasy world, not just a safety bubble.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
83 months ago

This whole contact app thing is super creepy....so much room for governmental abuse.
When did Apple become....Google!!!??? :eek:
First of all, this app is NOT a contact tracing app. This is merely an information tool to help you get tested.

If you are talking about Exposure Notification API that Apple and Google are co-developing, you are seriously misinformed. From FAQ ('https://covid19-static.cdn-apple.com/applications/covid19/current/static/contact-tracing/pdf/ExposureNotification-FAQv1.1.pdf'):


7. Where is the data stored and who has access to it?

If a user decides to participate, exposure notification data will be stored and processed on device. Other than the random Bluetooth identifiers that are broadcast, no data will be shared by the system with public health authority apps unless one of the following two scenarios takes place:

* If a user chooses to report a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 to their contact tracing app, the user’s most recent keys to their Bluetooth beacons will be added to the positive diagnosis list shared by the public health authority so that other users who came in contact with those beacons can be alerted.
* If a user is notified through their app that they have come into contact with an individual who is positive for COVID-19 then the system will share the day the contact occurred, how long it lasted and the Bluetooth signal strength of that contact. Any other information about the contact will not be shared.

In keeping with our privacy guidelines, Apple and Google will not receive identifying information about the user, location data, or information about any other devices the user has been in proximity of.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iGeneo Avatar
83 months ago

This whole contact app thing is super creepy....so much room for governmental abuse.
When did Apple become....Google!!!??? :eek:
Can you elaborate on what the "government" can abuse? You realize this app is nothing more than info, no data. Might as well be an ebook
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
AT&T Acknowledges iPhone 18 Pro Max Issues: 'Update Immediately'
AT&T Acknowledges iPhone 18 Pro Max Issues: 'Update Immediately'
6 hours ago
New 'AirFly Drive' Accessory Turns Wired CarPlay Into Wireless CarPlay
New 'AirFly Drive' Accessory Turns Wired CarPlay Into Wireless CarPlay
12 hours ago
Apple Shares Photos Shot on iPhone Duo
Apple Shares Photos Shot on iPhone Duo
13 hours ago
Apple Says iPhone Duo Has Replaceable 'Cover Layer'
Apple Says iPhone Duo Has Replaceable 'Cover Layer'
14 hours ago
Apple's Smart Home Camera Will Apparently Have 'No Video Recording'
Apple's Smart Home Camera Will Apparently Have 'No Video Recording'
16 hours ago
Apple TV Just Updated Its Selection of 'Bonus' Movies
Apple TV Just Updated Its Selection of 'Bonus' Movies
18 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Colors Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?
iPhone 18 Pro Colors Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?
18 hours ago
Early Prime Big Deal Days: Best Discounts on Accessories, TVs, and More at Amazon
Early Prime Big Deal Days: Best Discounts on Accessories, TVs, and More at Amazon
18 hours ago
MacBook Pro With OLED Touch Screen Rumored to Launch in October or November
MacBook Pro With OLED Touch Screen Rumored to Launch in October or November
19 hours ago
Apple's All-New Home Hub Rumored to Launch in These Four Colors
Apple's All-New Home Hub Rumored to Launch in These Four Colors
20 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Aperture Control Goes Fully Manual in Halide 3.2
iPhone 18 Pro Aperture Control Goes Fully Manual in Halide 3.2
21 hours ago
Apple Stores Receive 'Do Not Open' Boxes Ahead of Smart Home Products Launch
Apple Stores Receive 'Do Not Open' Boxes Ahead of Smart Home Products Launch
22 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch
22 hours ago
Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage
Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage
23 hours ago
PSA: Apple Mail on Mac May Stop Syncing Microsoft 365 Accounts Today
PSA: Apple Mail on Mac May Stop Syncing Microsoft 365 Accounts Today
23 hours ago
Apple's Smart Home Hub: Everything We Know So Far
Apple's Smart Home Hub: Everything We Know So Far
1 day ago
Apple's Home Hub Borrows From the iPhone Duo's StandBy Mode
Apple's Home Hub Borrows From the iPhone Duo's StandBy Mode
1 day ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features
2 days ago
Apple Event on October 13?
Apple Event on October 13?
2 days ago
Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
2 days ago
iPad Mini 8 to Offer These 10 New Features
iPad Mini 8 to Offer These 10 New Features
2 days ago
DoorDash Unveils AI Food Ordering Through Apple's Messages App
DoorDash Unveils AI Food Ordering Through Apple's Messages App
2 days ago
Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off Select M5 MacBook Air Models
Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off Select M5 MacBook Air Models
2 days ago
Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod
Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod
2 days ago
Apple Working to Expand HomeKit
Apple Working to Expand HomeKit
2 days ago
Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design
Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design
2 days ago
Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13
Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13
2 days ago
Apple Pay Now Available in India With Axis Bank Cards
Apple Pay Now Available in India With Axis Bank Cards
2 days ago
OpenAI Launches Always-On 'Dots' Agents to Rival Meta's Muse
OpenAI Launches Always-On 'Dots' Agents to Rival Meta's Muse
2 days ago
AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough
AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough
3 days ago

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors