Washington Exposure Notifications (WA Notify) is a tool to help stop the spread of COVID-19. WA Notify works through smartphones, without sharing any personal information, to alert users if they may have been exposed to COVID-19. It is completely private and doesn’t know or track who you are or where you go. Participation is voluntary.

How it Works

When you enable WA Notify, your phone exchanges random, anonymous codes with the phones of people who have also enabled WA Notify. The app uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to exchange these codes without disclosing personal information.

If a WA Notify user tests positive for COVID-19 and public health reaches out to them, they will be given a verification code to use on WA Notify. Once they add their verification code to the app, any other WA Notify users that were near them in the last two weeks will get an anonymous notification that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Why Use WA Notify?

According to the Washington State Department of Health, studies have shown that the benefit of using exposure notification technology increases when more people choose to use it. Think of notification technology as just another tool like masking and physical distancing.

See how it works at WANotify.org.

Resources:

• Fact sheets English | Marshallese | Russian | Spanish 
• Flow charts English | Marshallese | Russian | Spanish
• Posters English | Russian | Spanish (Marshallese unavailable)

Where to Get It

The app is available for iPhone and Android users.

• Android users can download it from the Google Play Store.
• iPhone users can enable it in their Settings. Go to settings, scroll to Exposure Notifications, tap “Turn On Exposure Notifications” and then select United States and then Washington.