Technologies

How to put your COVID-19 vaccine record on your phone

Got boosted? You can easily store your most current vaccination information on your iPhone, Android or Galaxy.

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.

As the highly transmissible omicron variant continues its rapid spread across the US, businesses, schools and government agencies across the country are requiring proof of full vaccination — some including booster shots. In some cases, these mandates just apply to employees, but in others, customers and visitors must show they’re up-to-date on their doses, too.

And if you’re traveling abroad, verifying your current vaccination status is more important than ever.

But you don’t have to keep the printed record in your wallet or purse: To avoid damaging or losing your vaccine card, you can easily store it on your phone.

Not sure how? We’ll show you ways you can access your vaccine card digitally, whether you have an Android or iPhone — and help you find out if your state has a specific vaccine-record app.

For more, check out how to replace a lost or damaged vaccination card and learn the latest vaccine and booster guidelines for kids

Which states use vaccine record apps?

While some governors have signed orders banning so-called «vaccine passports,» many other states have apps that allow residents to keep digital versions of their vaccine cards on their phones. More than a dozen — including California, Colorado, Hawaii, New York and Louisiana — offer SMART Health Cards that store vaccination records and COVID-19 test results.

Colorado residents, for example, can download the myColorado app: After you verify your identity and add a digital version of your driver’s license to your phone, you can add your myVaccine record to the app. (It can take up to 24 hours for your record to update, however.)

Louisiana’s LA Wallet app takes a similar approach, allowing you to add both your driver’s license and proof of vaccination to your phone, while Illinois residents can use VaxVerify, which uses Experian for identity verification.

New Yorkers have two app options, The Excelsior Pass and NYC Covid Safe, while New Jersey and Utah rely on the Docket app, available in the Apple Store or Google Play.

California requires residents to fill out a form to verify their identity, after which they’ll receive a text or email with a link to a QR code that can be saved to their phone. When scanned, the code provides proof of vaccination.

MyIR Mobile is used by several state health departments, including Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota and West Virginia. (Washington state and Washington, DC, added the ability to self-report positive results from at-home COVID test kits to their versions.)

Alaska announced last spring it would be partnering with MyIRMobile on an app, but it’s still not active according to the company website.

In November, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he would be unveiling a tool that allows residents to use a QR code to show they’re fully vaccinated. «We’ve been working with a bunch of other states — there’s probably 15 or 20 of them — to try to create a single QR code that can be used for all sorts of things where people may choose to require a vaccine,» Baker told WGBH in Boston of the yet-to-materialize platform.

Oregon officials say the state will unveil its first digital immunization record in March 2022, Portland Monthly reported.

Virginia, Delaware, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Alaska, Connecticut, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Michigan are among the many states using web portals to let residents access their vaccination status online. (Indiana’s vaccination portal has been offline for months.)

We’ll continue to update this feature as more states offer apps and other features to store COVID-19 vaccine cards online. And remember: If you get a booster shot, you’ll need to re-upload your vaccination record.

What if my state doesn’t have an app that lets me store my card?

If your state doesn’t have an iPhone or Android app that lets you store a copy of your vaccination record, there are other ways to keep it on your phone. What qualifies as valid proof, however, can vary by state, city, county or even individual business.

Some places may trust a photo of your physical vaccination card: Concert producer AEG Presents accepts a «physical copy of a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, a digital copy of such card or such other proof as is permitted locally.» But you definitely want to research first if your city, county or state does the same.

Along with many public schools, hundreds of private colleges are also requiring students and employees to be vaccinated: Seattle University, which requires students to be vaccinated to attend in-person classes, offers an online form to upload photos of the front and back of your vaccination card.

When in doubt, look for information on a business’s website or call the local health department and ask for clarification. It’s bound to save you time and lessen the risk of being turned away at the door.

Can I store my vaccine card with Google Pay or Apple Wallet?

If you have an iPhone, you can store your COVID-19 vaccine card on Apple Wallet and present it whenever you need to show you’re fully vaccinated. (You can keep a copy in the Health app, too.) The WatchOS 8.1 update allows you to keep your card handy on your Apple Watch.

If you have an Android, you can add your vaccine card to the Google Pay app and even create a shortcut icon on your home screen to find it quickly.

Samsung Pay can also store your vaccine record

Samsung now gives Galaxy owners the option to add proof of vaccination to Samsung Pay. To access Samsung’s Vaccine Pass, you can download either the IBM Digital Health Pass Wallet or the CommonHealth app from the Google Play Store and follow the prompts to verify your vaccination status.

Once the app confirms you’veindeed gotten the jabs, you’ll be prompted to download a Smart HealthCard to Samsung Pay that you can show to anyone requesting you show proof of vaccination. It beats having to fiddle around with photo albums and tapping through multiple screens before you’re able to show it to a bouncer or maître d’.

Will a picture of my vaccine card work?

The simplest way to have a digital record of your vaccine status is a photograph of your vaccination record on your phone. It’s not 100% effective everywhere, but even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend keeping a picture of your card as a backup copy.

You can make the photo a favorite to quickly locate it or store it in a notes app, a folder or somewhere easy to remember. Make sure you’re in a well-lit area and get close enough to the card that the dates and other details are legible. Put the card on a dark surface and try to eliminate shadows from your arms or the phone itself.

Here’s one way iPhone users can save their vaccination card as a new photo album: Open the Photos app, select the Albums tab and then tap the plus (+) 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 them to the album.

On an Android, 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.

What else can I use?

One popular option is the well-known airport security service Clear. In fact, some concert and exhibition halls require that attendees use Clear to verify their vaccination status to attend a show. You can go to clearme.com/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 your 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 uses the CDC’s Vaccine Administration Management System, then you can use the VAMS website to access your vaccination records. I’ve 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.

You can also 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.) On an iPhone, you can use the scanner built into the Notes app. On Android, Google’s Stack PDF scanner will be enough to get the job done.

This story will be updated as the national vaccine conversation continues. For more information about the booster shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, make sure to read this primer.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Technologies

Google races to put Gemini at the center of Android before Apple’s AI reboot

Google is using its latest Android rollout to position Gemini as the AI layer across phones, Chrome, laptops and cars.

Google is using its latest Android rollout to make Gemini less of a chatbot and more of an operating layer across the phone, browser, car and laptop, just weeks before Apple is expected to show its own Gemini-powered Apple Intelligence reboot at WWDC.
Ahead of its Google I/O developer conference next week, the company previewed a number of Android updates, including AI-powered app automation, a smarter version of Chrome on Android, new tools for creators, a redesigned Android Auto experience, and a sweeping set of new security features.
Alphabet is counting on Gemini to help Google compete directly with OpenAI and Anthropic in the market for artificial intelligence models and services, while also serving as the AI backbone across its expansive portfolio of products, including Android. Meanwhile, Gemini is powering part of Apple’s new AI strategy, giving Google a role in the iPhone maker’s reset even as it races to prove its own version of personal AI on the phone is further along.
Sameer Samat, who oversees Google’s Android ecosystem, told CNBC that Google is rebuilding parts of Android around Gemini Intelligence to help users complete everyday tasks more easily.
“We’re transitioning from an operating system to an intelligence system,” he said.
As part of Tuesday’s announcements. Google said Gemini Intelligence will be able to move across apps, understand what’s on the screen and complete tasks that would normally require a user to jump between multiple services. That means Android is moving beyond the traditional assistant model, where users ask a question and get an answer, and acting more like an agent.
For instance, Google says Gemini can pull relevant information from Gmail, build shopping carts and book reservations. Samat gave the example of asking Gemini to look at the guest list for a barbecue, build a menu, add ingredients to an Instacart list and return for approval before checkout.
A big concern surrounding agentic AI involves software taking action on a user’s behalf without permissions. Samat said Gemini will come back to the user before completing a transaction, adding, “the human is always in the loop.”
Four months after announcing its Gemini deal with Google, Apple is under pressure to show a more capable version of Apple Intelligence, which has been a relative laggard on the market. Apple has long framed privacy, hardware integration and control of the user experience as its advantages.
Google’s Android push is designed to show it can bring AI deeper into the device experience while still giving users control over what Gemini can see, where it can act and when it needs confirmation.
The app automation features will roll out in waves, starting with the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones this summer, before expanding across more Android devices, including watches, cars, glasses and laptops later this year.
The company is also redesigning Android Auto around Gemini, turning the car into another major surface for its assistant. Android Auto is in more than 250 million cars, and Google says the new release includes its biggest maps update in a decade and Gemini-powered help with tasks like ordering dinner while driving.
Alphabet’s AI strategy has been embraced by Wall Street, which has pushed the company’s stock price up more than 140% in the past year, compared to Apple’s roughly 40% gain. Investors now want to see how Gemini can become more central to the products people use every day.
WATCH: Alphabet briefly tops Nvidia after report of $200 billion Anthropic cloud deal

Technologies

Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis after glitch allowed some vehicles to ‘drive into standing water’

Waymo issued a voluntary recall of about 3,800 of its robotaxis to fix software issues that could allow them to drive into flooded roadways.

Waymo is recalling about 3,800 robotaxis in the U.S. to fix software issues that could allow them to “drive onto a flooded roadway,” according to a letter on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.
The voluntary recall is for Waymo vehicles that use the company’s fifth and sixth generation automated driving systems (or ADS), the U.S. auto safety regulator said in the letter posted Tuesday.
Waymo autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas, were seen on camera driving onto a flooded street and stalling, requiring other drivers to navigate around them. It’s the latest example of a safety-related issue for the Alphabet-owned AV unit that’s rapidly bolstering its fleet of vehicles and entering new U.S. markets.
Waymo has drawn criticism for its vehicles failing to yield to school buses in Austin, and for the performance of its vehicles during widespread power outages in San Francisco in December, when robotaxis halted in traffic, causing gridlock.
The company said in a statement on Tuesday that it’s “identified an area of improvement regarding untraversable flooded lanes specific to higher-speed roadways,” and opted to file a “voluntary software recall” with the NHTSA.
“Waymo provides over half a million trips every week in some of the most challenging driving environments across the U.S., and safety is our primary priority,” the company said.
Waymo added that it’s working on “additional software safeguards” and has put “mitigations” in place, limiting where its robotaxis operate during extreme weather, so that they avoid “areas where flash flooding might occur” in periods of intense rain.
WATCH: Waymo launches new autonomous system in Chinese-made vehicle

Technologies

Qualcomm tumbles 13% as semiconductor stocks retreat from historic AI-fueled surge

Semiconductor equities reversed sharply after a broad AI-driven advance, with Qualcomm suffering its worst day since 2020 amid inflation concerns and rising oil prices.

Semiconductor stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, reversing course after an extensive rally that had expanded the artificial intelligence investment theme well past Nvidia and driven the industry to unprecedented levels.

Qualcomm plunged 13% and was on track for its steepest single-day decline since 2020. Intel shed 8%, while On Semiconductor and Skyworks Solutions each lost more than 6%. The iShares Semiconductor ETF, which benchmarks the overall sector, fell 5%.

The sell-off came after a key gauge of consumer prices came in above forecasts, and as conflict in Iran pushed crude oil higher—prompting investors to shift away from riskier assets.

The preceding advance had widened the AI opportunity set beyond longtime industry leader Nvidia, which for much of the past several years had largely carried the market to new peaks on its own.

Explosive appetite for central processing units, along with the graphics processing units that power large language models, has sent chipmakers to all-time highs.

Market participants are wagering that the shift from AI model training to autonomous agents will lift demand for additional AI hardware. Among the beneficiaries are memory chip producers, which are raising prices as supply remains tight.

Micron Technology slid 6%, and Sandisk cratered 8%. Sandisk’s stock has surged more than six times over since January.