Public services put in your pocket with trial GOV.UK App launched today
A trial version of the GOV.UK App is to be available to download on smartphones today, putting public services in people’s pocket to save them from wasting time on admin.
- First GOV.UK App released to the public, kickstarting a whole new way for people to interact with government services that will make it easier to manage childcare payments and get travel guidance from your pocket.
- Custom home page shows people services that they need most, while in future, notifications will help remind people to book their MOT, update their passport and more.
- Initial version takes crucial services a step closer to citizens in a bid to cut life-admin, with plans to add a generative AI chatbot, GOV.UK Chat, later this year with much more to come.
The first version of the GOV.UK App will be available to download on smartphones today, putting public services in people’s pocket to save them from wasting time on life admin.
It marks an overhaul to the experience of using the GOV.UK website, which is visited by 88 million times every month by people completing essential daily tasks, to bring public services more in line with what people are used to when they bank or shop from their phones.
Launching first in “public beta”, meaning the technology is still being worked on extensively, today’s release will allow the public to build the app around their personal circumstances, life events and services.
People will be able to choose which topics to prioritise on their home page, based on which government services are most important to them, whether it’s ‘care’, ‘travel’ or ‘business’. A home page will then let people access these services right away, rather than having to scour the internet each time, so they can get information, request support or change their details with the right government service with ease.
Over time, new tools and functionality will be added. Later this year, the government’s generative AI chatbot – GOV.UK Chat – will be added for everyone to use. It will help people get answers to niche questions more quickly, where the details important to them may be buried in the 700,000-page website, with it instead drawing the most relevant information within seconds – whether it’s how to set up a specific type of business, what’s needed to apply for a passport, or what support new parents can access.
Following the addition of GOV.UK Chat, work will start to make sure different government benefits, such as childcare allowances, can be dealt with seamlessly through the app. As well as making it easier for people to apply for support they’re eligible for, the move will also aim to tackle fraud, which could save the government millions.
Today’s launch follows the digital blueprint for government which includes a number of tools to make it much easier for people and businesses to interact with the government, saving time and transforming the public services underpinning our Plan for Change. Later this year, the UK government will also launch GOV.UK Wallet which will include a pilot digital driving licence, which Brits will be able to easily use from their phone to prove their age when buying age restricted items online and in person.
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.
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.
To do this, the GOV.UK App considered major life events relevant to most of the population – such as ‘money and tax’, ‘studying and training’ and ‘retirement’. Some life events also cover topics where people might interact more with public services, such as ‘parenting’, ‘benefits’ and ‘care’.
Notes to editors
The GOV.UK App public beta will be available to download from 1 July in the Apple App store and Google marketplace.
In January, the GOV.UK App was announced alongside the GOV.UK Wallet. The latter will carry a digital version of all government issued documents – starting with a Veterans’ Card this autumn, followed by a pilot of a digital drivers’ licence later this year. For the first release, the GOV.UK Wallet will be separate from the GOV.UK App. Over time the Wallet will also integrate with the GOV.UK App.
The homepage of GOV.UK App can feature any combination of the below 11 topics:
- benefits
- business
- care
- driving and transport
- employment
- health and disability
- money and tax
- parenting and guardianship
- retirement
- studying and training
- travel
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