Technologies
Your vaccine card is far too easy to lose. 7 ways to keep a digital copy on your phone
You’ll need proof of vaccination to go back to work or enter many restaurants, gyms and event venues, so keep your COVID-19 card handy.

Cities and businesses are doubling down on COVID-19 safety protocols to help slow the spread of the delta and delta plus variants. Along with New York, San Francisco is requiring proof of vaccination for many indoor activities, some of which include keeping your job. While most companies are incentivizing getting the shot — including the fully FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine — many establishments like gyms, restaurants, bars and indoor event venues are making it a requirement. For example, in Colorado, where I live, a handful of large concert venues owned by AEG Presents recently announced they’ll require vaccination for anyone who wishes to attend a show. It’s simple — no proof, no entry.
That small paper card you received when you were vaccinated will suffice to prove that you’re vaccinated. But what if it’s lost, damaged or stolen? As of now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are not storing your vaccination status. Across the US and the rest of the world, companies, apps and municipalities are making it easier to digitally store and display your COVID-19 vaccination card. Now Samsung is joining in.
Rather than carrying around the card — or laminating it, which prevents your health care provider from updating it with future booster shots — take a few minutes to add a digital copy of your vaccination card to your phone. Here are a few options I’ve found while researching how to safely store mine.
There isn’t a standard way to show proof of your vaccination card
Keep in mind that right now there isn’t a single national system or app to present proof of vaccination on your phone. Requirements vary, based on locale and company. While some places may accept a picture of your vaccination card, others may require you to use an app that’s been implemented at the state level.
It’s a confusing mess, to put it mildly. I strongly urge you to take a few minutes to research what your local city or state will accept as proof as it can vary.
For example, AEG Presents will accept a «physical copy of a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, a digital copy of such card or such other proof as is permitted locally.»
Seattle University, meanwhile, requires students to be vaccinated to attend in-person classes via an online form that uploads photos of the front and back of the vaccination card. (Many other colleges are requiring students and employees to be vaccinated.)
Again, every venue, business, city and state is going to approach this differently until there is a unified standard — assuming there ever is one.
When in doubt, look for information on the business’s website, or call the local health department and ask for clarification. This is bound to save you time, headaches and being turned away at the bar.
Use your phone to take a clear photo
Snapping a picture of your vaccination card and keeping it on your phone is the quickest and easiest way to, at a minimum, have a backup copy of your card and all of the information surrounding your vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even recommend keeping a picture of your card as a backup copy.
Simply use the camera app on your phone to take the photo. We suggest storing this in a notes app, a folder or somewhere that’s easy to remember so you don’t have to endlessly scroll your camera roll to find it. Make sure you’re in a well-lit area and get close enough to the card that its dates and details are legible. I also suggest putting the card on a dark surface, while remaining conscious of shadows of your arms or the phone on the card itself.
Here’s an example of one way to save your vaccination card as a new photo album. On an iPhone, open the Photos app, select the Albums tab and then tap the + sign in the top left corner followed by New Album. Give the album a name and then tap Save. Next, select the photos of your card to add it to the album.
On an Android phone, it depends on which app you’re using, but the process should generally be the same. If you’re using the Google Photos app, open the app and then select the picture of your vaccination card. Tap the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner, followed by the Add to Album button. Select +New album and give it a name such as «Vaccination Card» and tap the checkmark button when you’re done.
Using a Samsung phone? There’s an app just for you
Samsung now gives Galaxy phone owners the option to add proof of vaccination to Samsung Pay, its wallet app. By having direct access to your vaccination record, you won’t have to fiddle around with creating photo albums and tapping through multiple screens before you’re able to show it to a bouncer at your local watering hole.
To add your card to Samsung Pay, you’ll need to download the CommonHealth app (Samsung’s partner) from the Google Play Store. Follow the prompts in the app to verify your vaccination status. Once the app confirms you’ve indeed gotten the shots, you’ll be prompted to download a Smart Health Card to Samsung Pay.
That card is what you’ll then show to anyone requesting you show proof of vaccination.
Excelsior and more: Look for apps based on your location
Some states — including New York, Colorado and California — offer some form of digital vaccination card. The myColorado app requires you to create an account, verify your identity and then add your digital driver’s license to your phone. After you’ve done that, you can then add your myVaccine record to the app.
Louisiana’s LA Wallet app takes a similar approach to Colorado’s, allowing you to add your driver’s license and proof of vaccination to your phone.
California’s implementation requires you to fill out a form to verify your identity, after which you’ll receive a text message or email with a link to a QR code you can save to your phone. When scanned, the code will offer proof of vaccination. The link will also include a digital copy of your vaccination record.
MyIR Mobile is another app used by several state health departments to provide a digital copy of your vaccination card. Currently, if you live in Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota, Washington, West Virginia or Washington, DC, this is the app you’ll use.
More options to create and store your digital vaccination card
I’ve had a large number of readers reach out to me about this article, each one offering advice and guidance about storing a proof of vaccination card.
Some suggestions include well-known airport security service Clear. In fact, some concert and exhibition halls are requiring attendees use Clear to verify their vaccination status in order to attend a show. You can go to clear.me/healthpass to download the app and get your card added.
VaxYes is another service that verifies your vaccination status and then adds your vaccination card to Apple Wallet. I’ve read that you can add your card to the Google Pay app, but after signing up and going through the process myself, I don’t see the option on a Pixel 5 running Android 12.
If your local municipality or employer used the CDC’s Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), then you can use the website to access your vaccination records. I had more than one reader reach out to me about using this system to show proof of vaccination, but without an account myself, I’m unable to go through the process of accessing a vaccination record.
Another suggestion I received from multiple readers is to use a scanner app on your phone and store a scanned copy of your vaccination card in something like your OneDrive personal vault or a password manager (almost all of them offer some sort of secure file storage) instead of storing the photo in Google Photos or Apple’s iCloud photos. On an iPhone, you can use the scanner that’s built into the Notes app. On Android, Google’s Stack PDF scanner will be enough to get the job done.
This story updates as the national vaccine conversation continues. For more information about the forthcoming booster shots, make sure to read this. We have up-to-date details about the delta variant, as well as delta plus and the lambda variant.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, June 28
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s Saturday, so it’s extra-long, and might take you a while. Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Detachable parts of a dress form
Answer: ARMS
5A clue: Catering container containing caffeine
Answer: TEARUN
8A clue: Climbing structure offered in pet stores
Answer: CATTREE
9A clue: Gets into town
Answer: ARRIVES
10A clue: Frédéric Chopin or Ray Charles, notably
Answer: PIANIST
11A clue: They don’t hold water
Answer: SIEVES
12A clue: ___-jerk reaction
Answer: KNEE
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: With some chance of failure
Answer: ATARISK
2D clue: Prepare for a new job, maybe
Answer: RETRAIN
3D clue: Midday Broadway showing
Answer: MATINEE
4D clue: Goal of a noted reality show set on an island
Answer: SURVIVE
6D clue: Witherspoon who portrayed June Carter in «Walk the Line»
Answer: REESE
7D clue: Lodgings for larks
Answer: NESTS
8D clue: Souvenir from a baseball game
Answer: CAP
Technologies
Facing Billions in DMA Fines, Apple Lets EU iPhone Users Install Apps Outside the App Store
A last-minute rule change lets European iPhone owners download apps from rival stores and developer websites, while introducing new fees that Apple hopes will satisfy regulators in Brussels.

In a scramble to sidestep penalties that could soar into the billions, and with Brussels regulators watching closely, Apple has agreed to let Europeans download iPhone apps from outside its own App Store.
With just hours left before an EU compliance deadline, the company said residents of the 27-nation bloc will soon be able to grab apps from rival marketplaces or straight off a developer’s website. The change rolls out later this year with iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, and also lets users set a different browser engine and choose a third-party wallet at checkout.
For everyday EU iPhone owners, that means the download button could pop up in more places than just Apple’s storefront. After you select the new setting, iOS shows a one-time permission sheet confirming you’re leaving Apple’s marketplace. The app then passes a quick notarization scan meant to weed out malware. Apple notes that off-store downloads work only inside the EU, and disappear if you stay outside the bloc for more than 30 days.
Cost to developers
Developers do gain fresh distribution freedom, but there’s a price tag. A new two-tier Store Services fee asks for 5% of outside sales in exchange for basic services like app reviews and support in what’s called Tier 1, or 13% for the full bundle of perks, including automatic updates and App Store promotions in Tier 2.
Apple will take a 5% «Core Technology Commission» on any purchase made outside its own payment system. That new cut will phase out the current €0.50-per-download fee and become the sole charge across the EU when a unified pricing model arrives on Jan. 1, 2026.
Apple insists «more than 99%» of devs will pay the same or less under the revamped math.
Why now?
In April, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million ($585 million) for blocking developers from steering users to cheaper payment options, and warned that daily penalties of up to 5% of global revenue could follow if it failed to comply.
Throughout the back-and-forth, Apple has accused the commission of «moving the goalposts» on what counts as compliance, with a spokesperson saying the company has invested «hundreds of thousands of hours» to meet the EU’s evolving demands.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney blasted the 5% tier as a «malicious compliance scheme» that «makes a mockery of fair competition.»
If regulators decide Apple still hasn’t gone far enough, the iPhone maker could face steeper sanctions, or even be forced to separate its App Store business.
Technologies
Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for June 27, #1469
Here are hints — and the answer — for today’s Wordle No. 1,469 for June 27. Some players need a new starter word now.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Wordle puzzle isn’t too tough, but somehow, it has a starting letter I never seem to guess. Some posters on Reddit say it was one of their starter words, so now they’re in the market for a new way to begin the game. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.
Today’s Wordle hints
Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.
Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats
Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.
Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels
There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 3: First letter
Today’s Wordle answer begins with P.
Wordle hint No. 4: Placement
The two vowels are next to each other.
Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning
Today’s Wordle answer can refer to something that is not decorated and is simple.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Today’s Wordle answer is PLAIN.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer, June 26, No. 1468 was OFFER.
Recent Wordle answers
June 22, No. 1464: THRUM
June 23, No. 1465: ODDLY
June 24, No. 1466: ELITE
June 25, No. 1467: COMFY
Will Wordle run out of words?
When Wordle began, creator Josh Wardle used a list of five-letter words he’d shared with his partner, picking only the words they recognized. While that’s more than 2,000 words, more than half of them have already been used.
Wordle editor Tracy Bennett admitted that the game will eventually have to come to grips with the fact that the word list is not eternal.
«One possibility is that we could recycle old words at some point, like when we get close to the end,» Bennett told a Wordle player on TikTok.
She also said the editors might throw all the words back in and reuse them, or allow plurals, or past tense, something that’s not done now.
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