GuideSafe™ is an anonymous notification system used by the Alabama Department of Public Health. It sends anonymous notifications if a COVID-19-positive person is in close contact with a person who later tests positive. The app is available on Android devices, and can be used by individuals who have tested positive, as well as by those who may have been in close contact with a person who tested positive. It can notify individuals who were in close contact with a positive person, but the information shared will be completely anonymous. It also will send notifications to individuals who may have been in close contact with a positive person, but who do not know that person.

It works by taking an encrypted, anonymous code and transferring it between Bluetooth devices. The code is not stored on the phones. The app also uses Bluetooth Low Energy, a technology that allows you to use your device’s Bluetooth chip to communicate with other devices without having to use up any battery.