Apple is now allowing its iPhones to conduct contact-tracing without the need to download an official coronavirus app.
The new development comes as part of the latest update to Apple's mobile operating system, which has just been released.
iPhone users are being given the opportunity to opt-in to the Exposure Notifications Express scheme, which can be done via the iPhone's main Settings menu.
And Google is set to follow a similar path in the coming weeks, even though authorities will still be able to create their own tracing app at a later date.
Apple and Google said in a joint statement: "Exposure Notifications Express provides another option for health authorities to supplement their existing contact-tracing operations with technology, without compromising on the project's core tenets of user privacy and security."
The announcement comes shortly after Google confirmed it won't reopen its offices for many employees until next summer.
The tech giant is extending its work-from-home option - which was brought in on a large scale due to the pandemic - through to June 30, 2021, for all roles which don't require office work.
