Was a COVID-19 tracker really added to your phone? [View all]

[ecstatic]

Maybe you’ve seen it, a social media post claiming that a coronavirus tracker has secretly been added to your cellphone.

Variations of the post have been spreading across social media platforms and read something like this:

“So when everyone was having ‘phone disruptions’ earlier this week, they were adding COVID-19 Trackers to our phones. If you have an Android phone, go under Settings, then GOOGLE settings and it’s there. If you have an iPhone, go to settings, privacy, then health. I don’t think you really overstand what they’re trying to do here.”

While you may notice a new entry in the settings folder on your phone — it was included in a May 20 update for iPhones, and there’s a Google Play Services update for Android users, 9to5Mac reported — it doesn’t mean an app has been installed, according to Forbes.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article243694062.html

I can confirm that this was added to my phone without notice or warning.