I found that (for no real reason) I was so nervous to take the at-home test that I kept putting it off until the day before I flew. Ugh! I wasn't nervous about the actual swab (I've had it before), but rather of screwing up the test, or losing Wi-Fi during the process, or the dog eating the package. Who knows.
My test-in-a-box
For the test I bought (Abbott BinaxNOW), the box instructed me to download the NAVICA app, which I did. I created an account, scanned the QR code on the box and got to a stopping point where it told me I had to log on to eMed to start the testing session. I'm still a little confused by the different entities involved in a single test.
One thing I didn't expect was that, for the majority of the test, my camera needed to be pointing at the test lying on a flat surface. So with a bit of laptop acrobatics, I managed the necessary angle.
NOT SO GOOD SETUP: For my first test, I would have chosen a different setup had I known the camera only briefly had to show me taking the test and need to be pointed at the test the rest of the time.
I got a "You're up next!" screen and sure enough, within about 30 seconds, someone came on the line. The "certified guide" was friendly and clear about each step.
I'll just go ahead and ruin the surprise. I got a negative result! Yay!
My personal telehealth agent told me to keep the camera pointed at the test during the 15 minute wait period, but he also said that if we got disconnected, that I could call the number on the screen to have someone read my test results. So maybe I didn't have to, but I kept the laptop tilted over the test for the duration. You are allowed to get up and leave the computer during this time but make sure you're back before the 15-minute timer runs out!
The results come in the form of "1 line or 2" (yes, similar to a pregnancy test!).
Within 15 minutes I had an email from eMed with a password-protected PDF containing my results, and I was also able to access the results on the NAVICA app. I never could find where NAVICA saved the QR pass image on my phone, but under the app Results, I could share/print so I saved a PDF.
Next step, I uploaded the PDF to United Airlines for pre-approval in the Travel-Ready section of their site. It only took about 10 minutes to get the approval message from United after uploading my test results. When I checked in at the airport, they didn't even ask to see my test results since they were already uploaded and approved - so easy!
Which tests to buy and where to buy them? View At-Home COVID Test for International Travel - Returning to the US.