Previously, NHS COVID-19 App users face a major flaw in the system called "Phantom Messages." To fix the issue, the National Health Service updated the app.

Good News! You No Longer Need to Worry About Phantom Messages, Thanks to NHS COVID-19 App's New Update
(Photo : Photo Illustration by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
In this photo illustration the C-19 Covid Symptom Study app is seen on a screen on August 13, 2020 in London, England. The NHS has used several mobile applications during the course of the pandemic to help patients assess and report their symptoms. This week, they have started trialling the "NHS Covid-19" contact-tracing app, after a series of delays in the development process.

BBC News first reported that users have complained that their notifications are scary and confusing. The said app was first launched in England and Wales.

Many people said that the issue creates confusion about whether they had been infected with the novel coronavirus and need to get a test or isolate themselves. Android and iOS users were reportedly receiving messages telling them that they could have been exposed to COVID-19.

"Possible Covid-19 exposure. Someone you were near reported having Covid-19. Exposure date, duration and signal strength have been saved," stated in the app.

However, once they click the notification, the messages disappear. The message will also vanish from the app.

NHS COVID-19 App's solution

According to Digital Health's latest report, the app's update will now send the users a second message from the government, stating that they should ignore the notifications.

Good News! You No Longer Need to Worry About Phantom Messages, Thanks to NHS COVID-19 App's New Update
(Photo : Photo Illustration by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
In this photo illustration the official NHS Covid-19 "Test and Trace" contact tracing app is seen on a screen on August 13, 2020 in London, England. The NHS has used several mobile applications during the course of the pandemic to help patients assess and report their symptoms. This week, they have started trialling the "NHS Covid-19" contact-tracing app, after a series of delays in the development process.

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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that the confusing messages are just default privacy notifications from Google and Apple.

Official notifications will remain in the app

A DHSC spokesperson said that the users should only consider the messages if they can be seen in the app itself. If they're legit notifications, they won't disappear and will provide appropriate advice.

Even if the user misses the notification, it will still be visible in the app. The App Store also posted a message about the update, stating that it had already been fixed for more efficient notification for potential COVID-19 exposures.

So, if you have left your phone for a long time, it is advisable to check your app to see if there are any important messages.

For more news updates about NHS COVID-19 App, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

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