Help someone use GOV.UK One Login
What you can and cannot do when you help someone you know create a GOV.UK One Login and prove their identity.
You can help someone you know create a GOV.UK One Login and prove their identity to access government services. They might be a friend, family member, or someone you support as part of your job.
This guidance tells you what you can and cannot help them do. You can share this with the person you’re helping so they know what to expect when they use GOV.UK One Login.
What you can help with
You should let the person you’re helping complete as many of the steps as they can by themselves, but there are a few things you can help with.
Let someone borrow your phone or computer
You can let the person you’re helping borrow your phone or computer if they do not have their own.
Their personal information will not be saved on your device. If your phone or computer has a password manager, make sure the person you’re helping does not use it to save their GOV.UK One Login details.
Remind them to sign out of GOV.UK One Login after they’ve finished.
Some technical information about your device will be collected by GOV.UK One Login when the person you’re helping uses it. Read the privacy notice to find out what sort of information will be collected.
Help someone download and use the GOV.UK ID Check app
If the person you’re helping has a photo ID, the quickest way to prove their identity is by using the GOV.UK ID Check app.
You can let the person you’re helping borrow your phone to download the app. You might need to tell them the model or operating system of your phone to help them do this.
You can also help the person download the app on their own phone. They’ll be given instructions on how to do this, but you can help show them what to do.
They might need to scan a QR code to use the app. You can help them with this if they get stuck.
They’ll also need to scan their photo ID when using the app. You can do this for them if they’re having trouble holding the phone or their photo ID still.
If their photo ID has a chip in it, like a UK passport, they will also be asked to scan it a different way. They will need to put the phone on top of the document. You can help them do this - it’s a similar process to paying for something with a contactless card.
What you cannot help with
You should always avoid entering information on behalf of the person you’re helping.
Creating and signing in to their GOV.UK One Login
Only the person you’re helping should be able to sign in to their GOV.UK One Login.
When they create their GOV.UK One Login, you should tell them to use an email address and phone number that either belongs to them or they have easy access to. If they do not have their own email address, you can help them set one up.
They’ll need to enter a security code that’s sent to the phone number they use every time they sign in. This will help keep their GOV.UK One Login secure.
Do not choose a password for them - although you should encourage them to choose a password they do not use for anything else.
Their password should be something that only they know. If you’re helping them create a GOV.UK One Login in person, you should look away when they choose their password.
You should never enter their password or any security codes for them when they sign in.
Proving their identity
The person you’re helping will need to scan their face when they prove their identity with the GOV.UK ID Check app.
If you’re helping them in person, avoid looking over their shoulder when they do this. The face scan will not work if it recognises more than one person.
They can prove their identity by entering their details and answering security questions if they cannot use the app. Only the person you’re helping should be able to answer these security questions. You should not try to do this for them.
You should look away when they answer the security questions if you’re helping them in person.
Last updated 19 April 2024 + show all updates
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Added Welsh translation.
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First published.