Guidance

Linking the GOV.UK ID Check app to GOV.UK

How to connect the app to the website if you need to prove your identity with GOV.UK One Login.

From:
Government Digital Service
Published
16 July 2024
Last updated
11 December 2024 — See all updates

You need to link the GOV.UK ID Check app to the GOV.UK website before you can use it to prove your identity. This confirms that you’re the same person who signed in to your GOV.UK One Login to use a government service.

The app usually links to GOV.UK automatically. If this does not work, you can try to link the app manually instead.

  1. Open the app and tap the Continue button. 
  2. Tap Continue again if you’re asked to use ‘GOV.UK’ to sign in. This will open a new screen.
  3. Tap the Link app to continue button.

What happens next depends on what device you’re using.

If you’re using a computer or tablet

You’ll need to scan another QR code to link the app. 

This is lower down on the same page as the QR code you scanned to download the app. You might need to scroll down to see it.

If you have closed the window or tab that you were looking at this page on, go back to the service you want to use and try to prove your identity again.

If you’re using a smartphone

Use your phone’s app switcher to leave the app and go back to your web browser. Make sure you open the same web browser you used when you started trying to prove your identity.

Tap the Link GOV.UK ID Check button. You might need to scroll down to see it.

There are a few things you can try if linking the app manually does not work.

Check you’ve started using a government service

You cannot use the app until you’ve signed in to GOV.UK One Login to use a government service. Make sure you do this before trying to link the app.

Check what services you can use with GOV.UK One Login.

Check the app will work on your smartphone 

Make sure you’re using either an:

  • iPhone 7 or newer and running iOS 14 or higher with Safari, Chrome or Firefox as your default web browser
  • Android phone (for example Samsung or Google Pixel) running 10 or higher with Chrome or Firefox as your default web browser

Check your web browser is not in private mode

Make sure you’re not looking at GOV.UK in a private window in your web browser. This is called ‘Incognito’ in Chrome.

Go back to the service you need to use and start again

  1. Close all the windows or tabs you have open.
  2. Open a new window or tab in your web browser and go back to the service you need to use.
  3. Sign in to GOV.UK One Login and try proving your identity with GOV.UK One Login again.

Contact GOV.UK One Login if you need more help.

Updates to this page

Published 16 July 2024
Last updated 11 December 2024 + show all updates

  1. Updated to clarify that the GOV.UK Check ID app works on phones that have Firefox as their default web browser.

  2. Expanded the guidance to include additional context for users who might come directly to this guidance from the app itself.

  3. Added translation

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