In a significant move set to affect millions of Australians, the Australian government’s digital identity app, myGovID, will undergo a major rebranding to myID in mid-November 2024.
This change aims to streamline the digital identity process and reduce confusion among users of government online services.
What’s Changing?
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has announced that myGovID, the app currently used by over 13 million Australians to verify their identity for accessing government services, will be renamed to myID.
This rebranding effort comes as a response to recommendations from the Critical National Infrastructure myGov User Audit, which highlighted the need to clarify the distinction between myGovID and myGov.
What Users Need to Know
No Action Required: Existing users of myGovID do not need to take any action. The transition will occur automatically through an app update.
Functionality Remains the Same: While the app will have a new name and look, its core functionality will remain unchanged. Users will still be able to access all the same government services they currently use.
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Login Details Preserved: Your current login credentials, including email address and identity strength level, will remain the same after the transition to myID.
Automatic Update: The app will update automatically on most devices. However, users can also manually update it from the App Store or Google Play once it becomes available.
Why the Change?
The rebranding from myGovID to myID serves multiple purposes:
- Reducing Confusion: It aims to eliminate the confusion between myGovID and myGov, which are separate services.
- Expanding Services: The new name reflects the potential for future use of Digital ID in more government services and eventually private sector services.
- Enhancing User Experience: By simplifying the name, the government hopes to make the digital identity process more intuitive for users.
Security Considerations
With any significant change to government digital services, there’s always a risk of scammers attempting to take advantage of the situation. The ATO has issued warnings to users to be vigilant:
- Only download the myID app from official app stores (Google Play and App Store).
- Be cautious of suspicious links, attachments, or file downloads from emails or SMS.
- Remember that the ATO will never send unsolicited SMS messages containing hyperlinks.
Impact on Government Services
This change affects the digital identity app only and does not impact the separate myGov platform.
Users of Centrelink, Medicare, and other government services accessed through myGov will continue to use these services as usual, with myID (formerly myGovID) serving as their digital identity verification method.
FAQs
When exactly will myGovID change to myID?
The change is scheduled for mid-November 2024.
Do I need to create a new account for myID?
No, your existing myGovID account will automatically transition to myID.
Will this change affect how I access Centrelink or Medicare?
No, you’ll continue to access these services as usual, using myID for identity verification.
Is myID more secure than myGovID?
The security features remain the same; only the name and appearance are changing.