While residents are largely for the move to flatten the curve of coronavirus cases, suggesting the app will be no more intrusive than social media, experts are hesitant on taking the technology at face value.

Wagga resident Hannah Turner, 23, said she has downloaded the app in the hopes of getting back to a sense of normality sooner rather than later.

"To be honest, most of our phones already track where we are because so many people use apps like Snapchat with the Snapmaps feature, or even just the GPS," she said.

"So what's the difference in having one more, especially when it's for our own well being?

"We all feel a bit defenceless, so this is one small way to help out."

Miss Turner said it needed to be an 'all or nothing' effort, though.

"For the app to actually work as intended, everyone needs to get on board," she said.

"There's no point in having it if only one in every 50 people use it because that kind of defeats the purpose."

Fellow Wagga resident Charles Webb-Wagg shared the same appreciation for the new technology, and said he wanted to protect his family as best he could.

"I went to Woolies for the first time in five weeks yesterday since working from home and you never know who you've passed in an aisle or who has touched an item you bought," he said.

Mr Webb-Wagg was not concerned about his information's security being breached.

"I think Bluetooth security is pretty good these days and, to be honest, all your information is out there anyway so if it helps save lives, I don't mind. I think everyone should have it," he said. However, Mr Webb-Wagga said the demographic most risk may struggle to understand the technology.

"A lot of elderly people don't even know what Bluetooth is or have a phone that would have it, and they're the ones most susceptible to the virus," he said.

"My mum is in her late 60s and we just bought her a smartphone but she has no idea how to use it or what all the features mean."

Associate Head of Computing and Mathematics at Wagga's CSU campus, Tanveer Zia, specialises in the security of technology.

Dr Zia said the COVID Safe app had both positives and negatives to consider.

"The app uses really strong encryption technology and is placed on a server based on Amazon, which has a good reputation of security, but it is also concerning that the organisation is based in the United States, so although they say our data will stay within Australia, we can't predict what they would do if, say, the US government requested that information," he said.

"In that case, we don't know what control the Australian Government has, or us as Australian residents."

Dr Zia said control was one of the most visible issues with the app.

"It is fine to ask people to consent to sharing their information, the app is not compulsory, but how easy is it to take that consent back?" he said.

"For instance, a medical practitioner or healthcare worker may consent because they are working in a vulnerable space, but when they go back to their personal settings with friends and family, they may not want that same tracking in place."

Despite the concerns, Dr Zia said there were a number of positive features offered.

"It really is limited information that the app collects, including a pseudo name which allows some anonymity, a postcode, date and time log, and a phone number," he said.

"That data is also only stored for 21 days, after which time the information is removed, and while there is the risk of someone copying that information within the 21 days, that risk is limited.

"Further to that too, the app only records contact for 15 minutes or longer as a security measure, they don't record geocodes or anything like that so they don't pinpoint your every move."

The security risks, alongside the possibility for shorter battery life on mobile phones, should not deter essential workers from downloading the app, according to Dr Zia.

"Personally, I think people on the front line should really consider it - those working in law enforcement, healthcare, and other essential workers like those at supermarkets," he said.

Murrumbidgee Local Health District Director Tracey Oakman encouraged everyone to download the app.

"The more people that download the app, the more information we have, the better informed we'll be about the risk of transmission should someone become positive," she said.