1.5 Million Washingtonians Have Signed Up For WA Notify

SEATTLE — Less than a month since its introduction, and more than 1.5 million Washington residents have downloaded WA Notify, the state's coronavirus exposure tracking app.

That means more than a quarter of Washington adults have the program running on their phones. It's also good news for users, because the more people have the program running, the more effective it becomes at tracing the virus's spread.

“By using WA Notify, Washington residents are stepping up to protect themselves and our communities from COVID-19,” said Lacy Fehrenbach, deputy secretary of health for COVID-19 response. “The more people who use exposure notification technology, the more effective it is."

After a recent update, the application can now run on more phones than ever before. Once Apple users update their iPhones to operating system 12.5, users with iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or 5s phones will also be able to install WA Notify.

Related: Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard Encourages WA: Sign Up For COVID-19 App

Once activated, the app interfaces with other phones that also have it installed, trading codes over Bluetooth that are randomized to maintain anonymity. If one user later tests positive for the coronavirus, the program then notifies every other user who was near the infected patient during their exposure period.

The program is voluntary and the state has repeatedly stressed that it is anonymous, and does not track a user's personal information or where they have been going.

Learn more about the program, or find more detailed installation instructions from the Washington State Department of Health.