London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

UK contact-tracing apps start to talk to each other

UK contact-tracing apps start to talk to each other

The United Kingdom's various contact-tracing apps can now intercommunicate, allowing people to be matched from the different areas they cover.

Until now, users needed to download separate Covid-19 apps and change settings if - for example - they travelled from England to Scotland.

Those who already have one of the apps do not need to do anything to make the new system work.

However, the apps do not communicate with other European equivalents.

The products that have become interoperable are:

*  England and Wales's NHS Covid-19

*  Northern Ireland's StopCOVID

*  Protect Scotland

*  Jersey COVID Alert

*  Beat COVID Gibraltar

The apps all use Bluetooth signals to log when two people's smartphones come into close proximity to each other.

These readings can then be used if one person becomes infected with coronavirus and registers the fact, to let others know if they were nearby for long enough to need to self-isolate.

All the apps are now able to access the anonymised IDs of people who tested positive because they have begun sharing a computer server set up by Scotland via Amazon Web Services.

However, those in charge stress that no personal information is being exchanged, and outside agencies - including the police and government - still have no way of identifying people from their use of the apps.

"While the majority of us will not be travelling under the current restrictions, this update will provide protection for those who have to continue to travel to other areas of the UK for essential reasons, such as work," blogged Gaby Appleton, director of product for Test and Trace at the Department of Health and Social Care.

"It is important to note that this update does not compromise our commitment to privacy."


QR barcode scans carried out via the England and Wales app are not involved in the data-sharing scheme


Scotland's Health Secretary Jeane Freeman added that more than 13,000 people had already been alerted via its app that they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive, and this update was "an important step in helping further reduce the spread of the disease".


European apps


The European Commission is pursuing a parallel effort to try and get other apps based on Apple and Google's contact-tracing tech to work together.

The first wave of apps to rely on its "gateway" began exchanging data a fortnight ago and more have been added since.

They include:

*  Germany's Corona-Warn-App

*  Ireland's COVID Tracker

*  Italy's Immuni

*  Latvia's Apturi Covid

*  Spain's Radar Covid

In theory, the commission believes 20 member states' apps could be made to work together because they are based on similar decentralised systems - meaning the contact-matching process takes place on the smartphones rather than on remote computer servers.

However, because Hungary's VirusRadar and France's StopCovid are based on different centralised technologies, there is currently no way to add them.

The UK's transition period after Brexit is set to come to an end this year, but it is not being deliberately excluded.

"The UK could theoretically participate until end-2020, but has not shown interest so far," a European Commission spokesman told the BBC.

"From 2021 on, participation would depend on a public health agreement between the EU and the UK."

The commission's initiative relies on the EU Directive on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare, and this is not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.

So, if the UK waits to join until after the year's end, this could complicate matters.



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×