Apple releases iOS 13.5 with Exposure Notification API for tracing COVID-19 cases - here's how it works

Apple has rolled out the stable version of iOS 13.5. The biggest highlight of the new update is the Exposure Notification API that will be used to trace COVID-19 cases. Other new additions include Face ID enhancements when wearing a mask and group FaceTime changes.

Apple and Google, earlier this year, announced a collaborative effort to help curb the spread of the coronavirus by introducing contact-tracing tools to both iOS and Android. Both Apple and Google had said that they would still support countries that have opted for a “regional or state approach”. 

With the wider rollout of iOS 13.5, public health officials can make use of the Apple and Google Exposure Notification API to deploy contact-tracing applications. India, currently, has its own Aarogya Setu app that uses location and Bluetooth for tracing and tracking coronavirus cases.

“Starting today, our Exposure Notifications technology is available to public health agencies on both iOS and Android. What we’ve built is not an app — rather public health agencies will incorporate the API into their own apps that people install. Our technology is designed to make these apps work better. Each user gets to decide whether or not to opt-in to Exposure Notifications; the system does not collect or use the location from the device; and if a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, it is up to them whether or not to report that in the public health app. User adoption is key to success and we believe that these strong privacy protections are also the best way to encourage use of these apps,” Apple and Google said in a statement.

Apps that incorporate the Exposure Notification API will use Bluetooth to track and identify people in contact with an infected person. When two people are in close proximity, the devices will share an anonymous identifier. If an individual is tested COVID-19 positive, the device will transmit a list of people the user came in contact with and alert them.

The feature is ‘Off’ by default currently in India. One of the reasons could be that health authorities are yet to incorporate the Apple and Google Exposure Notification API in their apps. 

Apple has given some details about Exposure Logging in Settings > Privacy > Health > COVID-19 Exposure logging. It states that when enabled, the iPhone can exchange random IDs with other devices using Bluetooth. These random IDs are only stored in the exposure log for 14 days.

For the feature to work, other iOS and Android devices too need to have the app that features the Exposure Notification API. To ensure user privacy, Apple and Google state that temporary exposure keys are generated randomly instead of being derived from a tracing key. Further, all Bluetooth-associated metadata is encrypted.

The iOS 13.5 update also brings Face ID enhancements. As per the update log,

— Passcode field automatically presented after swiping up from the bottom of the Lock screen when you are wearing a face mask.

— Also works when authenticating with the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Pay, iTunes, and other apps that support signing in with Face ID.

Apple now also gives the user an option to control automatic prominence on Group ‌FaceTime‌ calls so video tiles do not change size when a participant speaks.

Users can get access to these features by updating their iPhones to iOS 13.5 via the OTA update available in the Settings app.