In times of the pandemic, millions of users use the Corona apps of the RKI every day. But some functions of the smartphone programs are unknown to many.
Frankfurt – In times of the corona pandemic, the security certificates in CovPass, the storage of test data in the Corona-Warn-App and checking in when visiting restaurants, for example in the Luca app, have become constant companions. A warning message after possible contact with users who have tested positive can give an early warning of infection, when entering shops, bars or restaurants, many automatically reach for their smartphones.
However, many users have not yet discovered many functions of the Corona warning app and the CovPass app developed for vaccination certificates, both published by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). In addition to displaying a QR code for the vaccination status and the list of vaccination dates that have been read in, the CovPass app can also provide a replacement if analogue proof is lost.
Corona apps from the RKI: Certificates from family members can also be imported
To export certificates, click on the QR code on the Cov-Pass app’s start screen. On the page that is then displayed, the user’s personal details and the data on the vaccination certificates that have been read in are then displayed. Clicking on each of the vaccination certificates in the list takes you to a new page where the certificate can be printed out or saved as a PDF file.
For parents, the CovPass app has an entirely different use. Not only can they scan their own vaccination certificate, they can also store their children’s vaccination certificates using the plus symbol in the app. Children who do not yet have a smartphone do not always have to carry the printed vaccination certificate with them. The Corona-Warn-App also offers the possibility to save certificates of family members.
Travel planning and Corona apps: How to determine the validity abroad
Anyone planning a trip will also be able to use a useful function in both of the RKI’s Corona apps in the future. Using the “Check validity” button, the vaccination certificates can be checked to see whether they are suitable for the planned travel country. To do this, select the travel country from a selection list and add the date in the next step. The app will then show whether the presentation of the vaccination certificate is sufficient for entry.
It should be noted, however, that travel rules can change at short notice and it is therefore generally advisable to repeat the query a maximum of 48 hours before departure. In addition, the information is not guaranteed, as some regions may also have rules that are not recognized by the app.
New function in Corona-Warn-App: Check-In now also possible with Luca-Codes
As far as contact tracking and checking in in bars are concerned, the Corona-Warn-App has added a number of functions, such as a diary function for personal contacts. A particularly exciting innovation – especially with regard to current reports about the Luca app, the data of which, according to evaluations by the Spiegel, is not even requested by many health authorities for contact tracing – is the possibility to also read QR codes created with Luca and, for example, to the to register a visit to the restaurant as a guest. This applies to Luca codes created after May 25, 2021. The other way around, the function for reading QR codes is not yet possible.
This innovation is particularly useful for the warning function of the Corona-Warn-App, since checking in at a location or at an event also enables the organizer to warn of a possible risk encounter. According to the development team, this is done anonymously using a transaction number, so that applicable data protection regulations are observed. (ska)
