Accessibility statement for the GOV.UK app
Find out how accessible the GOV.UK app is and how to tell us about accessibility problems.
This accessibility statement applies to:
- the iOS GOV.UK app, first published in July 2025
- the Android GOV.UK app, first published in July 2025
This mobile application is run by the Government Digital Service. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this mobile application. For example, that means you should be able to:
- toggle between light mode and dark mode using device settings
- increase font size by at least 200%, or use the magnification or zoom features on your device
- listen to most of the app using a screen reader (including the most recent version of VoiceOver or TalkBack)
- navigate most of the app using a keyboard or switch control
We’ve also made the text as simple as possible to understand. AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this mobile application is
We know that some parts of the mobile application are not fully accessible.
For the Apple iOS version:
- in search results, swiping vertically or horizontally to navigate does not work in the way VoiceOver users would expect
- parts of the app cannot be easily navigated with an external keyboard, preventing some users from accessing all content or selecting links
- it’s not possible to use ‘Assistive Touch’ and iOS Reachability mode at the same time
For the Android version:
- the home page has a GOV.UK logo instead of a text heading, which may make the structure of the page harder for screen reader users to understand
- when using an external keyboard, there are several parts of the app where it’s difficult to see what’s being focused on
- parts of the app cannot be easily navigated with an external keyboard, preventing some users from accessing all content or selecting links
- when using an external keyboard, there are several parts of the app where it’s difficult to see what’s being focused on
- in GOV.UK Chat conversations, users cannot select individual links within Chat’s responses when navigating with an external keyboard
- in GOV.UK Chat conversations, when Chat gives very long responses, the screen does not automatically scroll to show the specific content currently being read or highlighted
GOV.UK website and services
When you access GOV.UK content through the app, you may be taken to www.gov.uk or to a GOV.UK service.
You can read the accessibility statement for www.gov.uk to find out details of how accessible the website is.
Each GOV.UK service has its own accessibility page, with details of how accessible the service is, how to report problems and how to request information in an alternative format. You can access these pages from the footer inside the service.
Feedback and contact information
Contact the GOV.UK app team if:
- you find any problems not listed on this page
- you think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements
- you need information in a different format
If you need information in a different format, include in your message:
- the title of the page in the app
- your email address and name
- the format you need - for example, plain text, braille, BSL, large print or audio CD
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact:
- the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) if you live in England, Scotland or Wales
- the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) if you live in Northern Ireland
Technical information about the accessibility of the GOV.UK app
The Government Digital Service is committed to making its mobile application accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance status
The Apple iOS and Android versions of the GOV.UK app have been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard.
Both the Apple iOS and Android versions of this mobile application are partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.
More information on non-accessible content in the app is available below.
Non-accessible content
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Home page logo instead of text heading
On the Android version of the app, the home page has a GOV.UK logo instead of a text heading, which may make the structure of the page harder for screen reader users to understand. This fails WCAG 2.2 A success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
We plan to fix this issue by June 2026.
Difficult to see what’s being focused on when using external keyboard
When using an external keyboard on the Android version of the app, there are several parts of the app where it’s difficult to see what’s being focused on. This fails WCAG 2.2 AA success criterion 2.4.7 (Focus Visible).
We plan to fix this issue by June 2026.
Issue navigating content when using external keyboard
In both the Android and iOS versions of the app, parts of the app cannot be easily navigated with an external keyboard. This prevents some users from accessing all the content in the app or clicking on links.
In the Android version of the app, users cannot select individual links within GOV.UK Chat conversations when navigating with an external keyboard.
This fails WCAG 2.2 A success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard).
We plan to fix this issue by June 2026.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
VoiceOver swipe navigation in search results
In search results on the iOS version, swiping vertically or horizontally to navigate does not work in the way VoiceOver users would expect. Swiping vertically does not navigate users from one search result title to the next. Swiping horizontally does not navigate users from the search result title to the search result description - instead, it navigates them to the next search result title.
We do not plan to fix this issue as it’s not required as part of the accessibility regulations
Issue with Assistive Touch and iOS Reachability mode
We do not plan to fix the issue with Assistive Touch and Reachability mode, as:
- it’s not required as part of the accessibility regulations
- Reachability mode is an Apple feature, and isn’t something we can technically fix
Focus does not move with announcements in long GOV.UK Chat responses
In GOV.UK Chat conversations, when Chat gives very long responses, the screen does not automatically scroll to show the specific content currently being read or highlighted. This means that while a user may hear the text being read by a screen reader or see a link highlighted by their keyboard, that content is hidden behind other parts of the screen.
We do not plan to fix this issue as it’s not required as part of the accessibility regulations.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 18 March 2025. It was last reviewed on 23 March 2026.
The Android and iOS versions of the GOV.UK app were last tested on 22 December 2025 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
The test was carried out by Zoonou. It was tested on Android and iOS, using a range of assistive technology combinations.
We also used findings from our own testing when preparing this accessibility statement.
Updates to this page
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We updated the accessibility statement to reflect the latest audit findings, including details of accessibility issues with external keyboards and GOV.UK Chat. As a result, the compliance status for the iOS version of the app has changed from fully compliant to partially compliant with WCAG 2.2. The target date to fix all known accessibility issues is June 2026. We also made minor style and formatting changes to make the statement easier to read.
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We have fixed the issue with TalkBack announcing ‘Double tap to activate’ on plain text instead of on a button.
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We now plan to fix the accessibility issues with the GOV.UK app by October 2025, instead of July 2025.
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First published.