UK government launches GOV.UK App to streamline public services
The UK government has launched a trial version of the GOV.UK App, aiming to allow people to access public services through their smartphones and reduce time spent on administrative tasks.
This initial release, made available to the public in a "public beta" phase, is designed to enable users to customise their home page with government services most relevant to them, such as childcare payments and travel guidance. The app is intended to serve as a single entry point for multiple services, reflecting the increasing expectation for streamlined digital experiences similar to those offered by banks and retailers.
According to official information, the GOV.UK App is intended to represent a significant change from the existing GOV.UK website, which currently receives 88 million visits per month. The app's home page will allow users to prioritise topics like care, travel, or business, providing direct access to information, support requests, or updates of personal details without repeatedly searching online.
Personalisation and future tools
The app is designed with personalisation in mind. People will be able to choose from 11 main topics on the home page, including benefits, business, care, driving and transport, employment, health and disability, money and tax, parenting and guardianship, retirement, studying and training, and travel. Themes are informed by key life events or circumstances, such as parenting or retirement, which often drive interactions with public services.
The government intends to add further tools and features to the app over time. Later this year, users will have access to a generative AI chatbot, GOV.UK Chat, to help answer more specific questions where relevant details could be difficult to find among the 700,000 pages of content currently available on GOV.UK. The chatbot is expected to rapidly deliver precise information, such as guidance on starting certain types of businesses, explaining passport requirements, or offering support options for new parents.
Plans are also underway to make government benefits, including childcare allowances, easier to manage through the app. The effort is expected to simplify application processes, with a stated aim to help reduce fraud and save costs.
Digital documents and notifications
The government has also mentioned the impending launch of GOV.UK Wallet, which will initially support a pilot for a digital driving licence. The wallet will eventually hold a range of government-issued documents, starting with a Veterans' Card and later a digital drivers' licence. While the wallet and the app are separate in their first releases, integration is anticipated in future updates.
Another planned feature includes notifications to remind users about routine tasks such as booking vehicle MOTs or updating their passport, supporting the goal to save time and reduce manual paperwork.
Statements from government
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.
Referring to the app's design approach, the technology team stated that it considered major life events which are relevant to most people, explaining the selection of topics available. The candidate areas were chosen based on common points of contact between the population and public services.
The GOV.UK App is now available for download from app stores for both Apple and Google smartphones as part of its public beta release. Government representatives have signalled that, in addition to the planned enhancements, feedback from the ongoing beta will shape further development of the app and its capabilities for citizens and businesses alike.
