The NHS App is an app that helps patients and staff find health information. The app has been tested on some iPhones and Android handsets. The latest iOS version is 13.5 which contains the most security features. However, the iPhone X isn't compatible. The NHS App can also be used on Android devices as long as they have BLE 4 technology and run Android 6 (Marshmallow). This app is free and is available for iOS devices.
The NHS App works by generating a random code for each user each day. Each user then receives a secondary code every 15 minutes. The apps record the exposures for 14 days and then delete them after that. The NHS App can then share these codes with the DHSC central server. Upon confirmation of positive testing, the DHSC central server sends relevant codes to all NHSApp users. In some cases, the alerts may be ignored.
The NHS App works on a decentralized system, which means that data collected is stored on the device, instead of a centralised database. It also relies on exposure notification API developed by Apple and Google. This is a significant change from the earlier version of the app, which was based on a proprietary, centralised data collection system. Therefore, it is advisable to check the terms and conditions of the app before using it.