Downloads of selected COVID-19 vaccine passport mobile apps worldwide 2022

In 2022, the number of available apps that can be used to prove a COVID-19 vaccination and as a travel passport increased significantly compared to the beginning of the previous year. The NHS App, which is now recognized in more than 30 countries worldwide, was downloaded more than 4.2 million times during the first quarter of 2022 alone. CovPass, launched by the Robert Koch Institute, recorded almost 4.76 million downloads after one year from its launch, while downloads of Dutch app CoronaCheck were at 950 thousand.

Contact tracing apps

As coronavirus infections spread by being in contact with infected individuals, contact tracing apps make usage of Bluetooth technology to monitor the data exchanged between devices that are in proximity of one another. Once users install the apps and provide documentation on their health status, their mobile devices can register the proximity to other users and signal if a previously encountered user tested positive for coronavirus. Among the mobile apps that take advantage of this built-in function is the Indian Aarogya Setu app, which launched in April 2020 and counted 2.56 million downloads in October 2021 alone.

Vaccine verification features and travel apps

In 2021, vaccination campaigns started rolling out worldwide and COVID-19 travel passports were introduced to the public. In order to help verify negative testing or vaccination status, several contact tracing apps introduced features to add official health certificates. However, according to a survey of global travelers conducted in February 2021, 35 percent of respondents reported having privacy concerns, while around three in 10 respondents were concerned over the lack of transparency and control over their personal data. Despite users’ concerns, the most popular apps used in the United States to give proof of COVID-19 vaccination generated 1.6 million downloads between March and August 2021.