UK launches government smartphone app for iPhone and Android
The beta version of the GOV.UK smartphone app is now available to download on Android and iPhone, allowing users to easily access public services.
This marks the first release of the new application to the public, which provides an easier way for people to interact with government services, offering an alternative to using the GOV.UK website in a browser.
Users can access a range of topics within the app, and they can choose which topics to prioritise on their home page based on which government services are most important to them.
11 topic filters for government services are available the app, including benefits, business, care, money and tax, travel, employment, and more.
As the application is currently in a beta period, new tools and features are expected to be added over time.
The government said that it will integrate its generative AI chatbot later this year, which will help users to find answers to specific questions more quickly than they would searching through the 700,000 pages of the GOV.UK website themselves.
Government benefits, such as childcare allowances, will also be added within the app, allowing people to easily apply for support from their smartphone while improving the government’s ability to tackle fraud.
Later this year, the UK government will also launch GOV.UK Wallet, which will include a pilot digital driving licence. Once they have their digital driving licence, Brits will be able to easily use from their phone to prove their age when buying age restricted items online and in person.
GOV.UK Wallet will be a separate application that carries electronic versions of government-issued documents, starting with a Veterans’ Card this Autumn. In the future, this tool will be integrated with the GOV.UK app for easier navigation and management.
“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,” said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.
“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.”
“People using the GOV.UK App will get the same experience every time they open the app in a way that is tailored to them, enabled by GOV.UK One Login.”
“This technology will ultimately remove the need for several passwords to access different government services and users will be able to use facial ID to log in,” he said.
As of Tuesday 1 July, the public beta of the GOV.UK smartphone app is available to download from the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
You can download the public beta of the GOV.UK smartphone app using the links below:
