As some people return to the office or classroom after more than 18 months of Covid-19 disruption, maintaining social distancing remains a concern, especially as the highly contagious Delta strain spreads across the country. Here are a few simple suggestions for using your smartphone to stay informed and safe when you return to the office or school.
Stay informed
Regular checks of schools, municipalities and state websites can keep you up to date on mask mandates, vaccine requirements, quarantines and other Covid-related news. Get your facts faster by bookmarking these sites that you can access right from your home screen.
Open the page you want to highlight. The steps vary by browser and phone, but if you’re using Chrome browser on an Android device, tap the More menu in the top right corner and choose “Add to Home Screen.” On an iOS device with the Safari browser, tap the Action Menu icon at the bottom center of the screen and choose “Add to Home Screen.”
In addition to its informational website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has its own mobile app. Check your app store for local virus news, as many states have their own apps for tracking outbreaks, providing personal exposure reports, providing vaccine information, and offering general news alerts.
Carry your card
Certain institutions, locations and employers now have a vaccine requirement, and many New York City companies need proof and will enforce it next month. While your paper vaccination card serves as proof, you can keep it safe at home and go digital. Some states have electronic vaccination passports that you can keep in your phone’s digital wallet and display when prompted; New York’s Excelsior Pass program is one such example.
Photos of your paper vaccination card can also serve as a digital backup, and some employers may accept the images as proof of vaccination, especially in apps like NYC Covid Safe. However, the card contains personal information, so keep your phone locked when not in use. Apple’s iOS software settings provide a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID to secure the device.
Android users can also set a screen lock in the system settings. In addition to the PIN or passcode, some phone models (including those from Google and Samsung) use biometric keys, such as facial recognition. For added protection, Android users can save vaccine card images to a locked folder in Google Photos – just open the card image, tap the More menu and choose ‘Move to locked folder’.
Change your commute
A social distancing commute is more challenging for people who don’t drive and walk or use public transportation to get around. Last year, both Apple and Google added coronavirus-related business information to their maps apps, and a more recent Google Maps update now shows busy areas so you can better avoid crowds.
If you want to drive off-peak or hike the trail less traveled, Apple Maps and Google Maps both offer real-time transit schedules and optional walking routes. Specialized apps like Citymapper cover multiple modes of transportation, including bike sharing and the ferry. And localized transit apps (like New York City’s MYmta for Android and iOS) can also be useful for service status and updates.
And when you walk to work with your face in your Android phone, the “Caution” notifications on some models remind you to watch where you’re going. Enable the feature in the Digital Wellbeing settings.
To fuel
When a drive-through window isn’t an option to remotely pick up your breakfast or lunch, there are other ways to minimize your exposure, such as calling a takeout order to your local diner or bodega. Loyalty apps from convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Wawa, or restaurants (McDonald’s, Panera Bread, and Starbucks to name a few) offer online ordering and mobile checkout to zip things together with minimal contact.
And don’t forget contactless payment systems like Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay to avoid fiddling with physical cash and quickly get you through the checkout or subway turnstile. (A contactless credit card from your financial institution is another option and lets you pay by tapping the card on the cash reader.)
Video to go
Now that you’ve actually left the house, consider a few more apps to handle the transition. With the mobile version of your company’s favorite video conferencing app, you can leave a conference room and meet anywhere, even without your computer.
After working remotely for over a year, it can be extra difficult to leave your fuzzy home office mate when you return to the world. If the separation makes you anxious, consider an inexpensive streaming webcam that lets you use your phone to watch your pet in real time. The Wirecutter site has recommendations for camera options to keep you virtually in the house until you get back home.
