Aarogya Setu

India Launches New Covid-19 Smartphone App Aarogya Setu in April 2020The Indian government launched the new Covid-19 smartphone application Aarogya Setu in April 2020. Aarogya Setu was developed by the National Informatics Centre under India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It uses government databases to track Covid-19 cases. The app utilizes the phone's location data and Bluetooth to check if users are within six feet of someone infected with Covid-19, alerting them upon detecting such activity.In addition, the app will prompt users to get tested and schedule an appointment at the nearest testing center. Other features of Aarogya Setu include tips for preventing Covid-19 and a chatbot that can answer queries about the virus. It is available in 11 Indian languages. Addressing privacy concerns, the app states that user data is only shared with the government, and details like usernames or phone numbers are not made public.