Apple reports 2M COVID-19 app downloads, 125M News users on earnings call

Apple is setting records all over the place.

What you need to know

• Apple announced a few key things during its Q2 earnings call.
• It has shipped over 30 million masks to medical workers.
• It also launched its largest deployment of iPads ever.

On Apple's earnings call for the second quarter, CEO Tim Cook had some notable numbers to report before launching into the company's fiscal performance for the second quarter.

Cook opened the call by giving an update on the company's efforts in getting personal protective equipment to medical workers across the world. The company has now shipped over 30 million masks and over 7.5 million face shields. He also noted that Apple continues to ship 1 million face shields ever week.

"At the same time that they were leaving no stone unturned to get our latest generation of devices manufactured and into our customers' hands, our worldwide network of supply chain partners, logistics and operations spokes and every part of the company were also sourcing more than 30 million masks for frontline medical workers, ensuring they are donated to places of greatest need in every region around the world. While our product teams were preparing to launch a new iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, MacBook Air, and the new iPhone SE, all of which have been very well received by reviewers and consumers alike, they were also working with our suppliers to design, test manufacture and distribute more than 7.5 million face shields. And we continue to ship more than one million of these every week to the doctors, nurses, and medical personnel on the front lines."

Next, Cook highlighted that Apple News on iOS and macOS has reached a record of 125 million active users. FaceTime and Messages, Apple's most popular communication tools, have also seen record daily use.

"As Apple News reached 125 million monthly active users, we elevated trusted information from reliable sources through a special COVID-19 vertical. We let customers skip payments without incurring interest on Apple card for March and April in light of financial hardship for many families. We worked with everyone from Oprah to Lady Gaga to inform, entertain and get back through Apple TV and services like FaceTime and Messages set new all-time records for daily volume during this quarter as users relied on their devices to stay connected in a new reality."

Cook also took the time to speak briefly about Apple's recently launched COVID-19 app and website. The app has already been downloaded 2 million times, and the website has received over three million visits.

"In software, at the same time that our teams work with great creativity and excitement as we prepare to deliver our first ever all online Worldwide Developers Conference later this quarter, they also worked with the same creativity and speed to put together our COVID-19 symptom checking Website, and app in partnership with the CDC. As of today, the app has been installed nearly two million times and the web tool has received over three million unique visits. and just this month to accelerate contact tracing. We are launching a joint effort with Google to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies to reduce the spread of the virus with user privacy and security central to the design."

The CEO also talked about the company's efforts to help in education during a time when students are largely at home. Apple has deployed 350 thousand iPads to New York City, its largest iPad deployment ever.

"At this time of social distance of shuttered schools and gathering places of delayed plans and new ways of socializing, we have seen significant evidence that our products have taken a renewed importance for our customers. Teachers and students around the world are relying on our technology to teach, learn, and stay connected with each other. We are in the process of deploying major orders of iPads to school systems, working to keep learning going strong at a distance, including tens of thousands in Ontario, Canada, Glasgow, Scotland, and Puerto Rico. A hundred thousand to the city of Los Angeles and three hundred fifty thousand to New York City. Our largest educational iPad deployment ever."

All of these announcements were made on Apple's Q2 earnings call. If you'd like to see everything that was announced, you can read the full transcript.