Digital tools are important ways to directly involve individuals in the fight to curb the pandemic. They are used for contact tracing, support public health authorities and are useful for scientific research - for example on the transmission of the virus. They actively engage the population in the form of apps for smartphones and wearable electronic sensors for measuring distance, so-called tags and wearables.  How to improve the effectiveness of such digital tools in contact tracing is described in a discussion paper published by the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The authors identify a need for a continuous, sustainable and coordinated government strategy for the use and further development of digital tools, as well as for information on the functionalities, opportunities and risks.