We are continuing to iteratively improve the app, focusing on a range of performance, security, and accessibility improvements.

Today’s release is the sixth update to the app. This update will allow:

• More Australians to download and use the app.
• The app to operate better on iOS and Android devices.
• Improved usability and accessibility.

We encourage everyone using the COVIDSafe app to install this update and benefit from the improvements.

Update details

More people in Australia can now download and use the app

This release enables people who live in Australian External Territories, such as Norfolk Island, to download and use the app. It also provides access to people using an international mobile phone number while in Australia.

COVIDSafe users receive a personal identification number (PIN) through a text message to complete the registration process. Using the app with an international mobile phone number will depend on the provider of the mobile service. If you are using an international mobile phone number and you have problems receiving the PIN, please contact the COVIDSafe support channel for help.

Fixes to a temporary ID bug on iOS devices

Changes in this release make sure locked iOS devices can access new temporary IDs when the current ID expires.

A member of the development community told us about this issue. We reviewed it and committed to a fix in this release. This is a great example of how the DTA and the Australian developer community are working together to make COVIDSafe better.

Improved usability and functionality

We have reviewed and improved the user experience around permissions for iOS. Users can now access their Bluetooth settings and manage their permissions more easily.

We have also improved the experience for Android users so they can better manage their notification settings.

We have also fixed issues related to some Android phones, which resulted in the app crashing unexpectedly.

Enhanced accessibility

We’ve added a landscape orientation for screens, improved the order of user fields, and increased the size of button text to improve readability.

These changes will help users who have accessibility needs navigate and use COVIDSafe. We will keep making accessibility enhancements to make sure everyone can use the app.

Source code update and next release

We have updated the publicly available application source code with this release. To make sure we can continue to engage with the technology community, we have improved access to the source code repository to allow direct feedback.

We are working on the next update to the COVIDSafe app, which we plan to release in a couple of weeks.

Visit the COVIDSafe website for more information or to access the source code.