Corona warning app is available for iOS and Android

The Robert Koch Institute's Corona Warning app has been available for download since last night. The free installation is possible on Apple devices from iOS 13.5 and on Android smartphones from version 6.0 of the operating system. In this post you will not only find the links to the respective download sources, but also information on the functionality and security of the software.

Download the Corona warning app

Of course, the same applies to this software as to any other: Use an official store, if available. Do not download any app related to the coronavirus anywhere on the net - that can lead to an infection of its own. For the iPhone and iPod touch from iOS 13.5 you can get the Corona-Warn-App in Apple App Store. For the Android smartphone you go through the Google Play Store. The program is available free of charge in both; its use is voluntary, but is recommended to contain the spread of Covid-19.

[appbox app store id1512595757]

[appbox googleplay de.rki.coronawarnapp]

This is how the RKI's corona warning app works

The core of the Corona warning app is the so-called risk determination. By exchanging random codes between the devices, this determines whether the user has had contact with infected people within the last 14 days. In order to realistically assess the risk, the distance to the infected person (or the distance between the respective smartphones) and the duration of contact are noted. 

There is no access to personal or personal data. The contacts are stored in the form of their random codes for 14 days - this corresponds to the maximum incubation time of Covid 19. A warning is received (or sent) when a contact person (or yourself) enters in the app that they are infected.

Further information and details can be found in the linked stores.

The German coronavirus app

When I entered “Corona” in the App Store, I saw earlier that people were often looking for “Coronavirus App” and “Coronavirus App German”. Here again for taking notes and passing on: the program is called Corona warning app ;) What makes it so German and European is the level of data protection. The bar was set really high here and the source code of the program was also disclosed for maximum transparency. 

The data protection in the German coronavirus app of the RKI is guaranteed, since no registration is required (no entry of name, email address, etc.), only random codes are exchanged between the devices, the data only on the smartphone (i.e. decentralized) and third parties are not allowed to view them. According to the description of the apps for iOS and Android, neither the RKI nor the state or the store operator have access.

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He acts as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with technical problems. In his spare time he rides electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with the iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions to current bugs.