Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora

NZ COVID tracer is an important contact tracing tool in the fight against COVID-19. Scanning QR codes allows us to create a private record of the places we've been, and Bluetooth tracing allows us to create an anonymised record of the people we've been near.

To start using NZ COVID Tracer, download the latest update from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

When you first open NZ COVID Tracer, you will be prompted to enable alerts and Bluetooth tracing.

If you don't see an 'enable alerts' option on your dashboard, this means alerts are already enabled.

You can turn them on or off later through your phone settings.

We recommend enabling alerts and BlueTooth, so we can let you know if you need to be on the watch for any symptoms.

When Bluetooth is on it doesn't share any identifying information.

Each day, your phone picks a random number called a "key" and broadcasts it for other phones to hear if they are nearby.

While you’re out and about, your phone will listen for keys and take note of any that are nearby for a period of time.

This allows you to receive a notification if you have been in close proximity to someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

Using the app is easy.

To create your digital diary, simply open the app, point the camera at the poster, and a green tick will appear to confirm your visit has been recorded!

You can even keep track of places you go with friends, by using the 'Add manual entry' feature.

After scanning a poster or entering a location manually, you can choose to add extra details, such as who you were with or what you were doing.

If a contact tracer does call, reviewing where you have been is easy.

Your digital diary can be found under the "My data" tab located at the bottom of your screen.

Here, you can view your diary, or share your diary and keys with a contact tracer. 

The My data tab is also where you can update your contact details, or add in your NHI number for quick reference in case you need it.

Remember, you are in control of your data.

Your digital diary and keys are kept safe and secure on your phone.

They will stay on your phone unless you choose to upload them after testing positive for COVID-19.

Continue the great work using NZ COVID Tracer and its features!

For more information, visit health.govt.nz/nz-covid-tracer