Government launches Gov.uk App

The government has launched the first version of its Gov.uk App, allowing citizens to use government services on their mobile phones.

The public beta version of the app is now available for people to download, and allows users to customise the home page to feature those services they use the most.

It covers services from several government departments, including benefits, business, employment, tax, retirement, travel, studying and training, parenting and guardianship, driving and transport, and care.

The aim is to allow users to build the app around their personal circumstances.

The government plans to add features to the app over time, including its generative AI chatbot, Gov.uk Chat, to help people find answers to complex questions that may not be searchable. Eventually, users will also be able to apply for benefits, passports or book their MOT using the app. The official launch of the Gov.uk App will take place later this year.

Commenting on the launch, science and technology secretary Peter Kyle said: “Our new Gov.uk App shows for the first time how this government is overhauling taxpayer-funded services as we deliver on our Plan for Change. By putting public services in your pocket, we will do away with clunky paper forms and hours spent on hold, so you can immediately get the information you need and continue on with the rest of your day.

“This release of the Gov.uk App is just the start. Soon, you will be able to use it to ask Gov.uk Chat any question you like about government services and get a reliable answer immediately. You will then get personal notifications, reminding you when your MOT is due or whether you need to register to vote, and then you will be able to closely track your childcare credits just as you do your bank account.”

The app allows users to identify themselves using Gov.uk One Login, the government’s flagship digital identity platform, which means that once registered with a digital identity, users can simply use face ID to log in to government services.

Currently, any information or service the user clicks on will take them through to the mobile browser version Gov.uk website, letting them access it through the app environment. However, if, as the app develops and gains a larger user base, it becomes apparent that creating app native versions of certain services, this will also be added.

Later this year, the government will also launch Gov.uk Wallet, which will allow users to have government-issued documents available on their phones.

In the first instance, this will be separate from the Gov.uk App and will include a digital version of Veteran Cards, which will sit within the existing Gov.uk One Login app, followed by driving licences.

The aim is that by 2027, it will include DBS checks and a range of other credential documents issued by the government. It will also be integrated into the Gov.uk App over time.