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The UK government will launch an app that will allow citizens to digitize their driving licences. Science Minister Peter Kyle Announced on Tuesday The launch of the GOV.UK Wallet for Android and iOS devices later this year will allow users to securely store government-issued documents on their phones, allowing them to access them instantly rather than waiting for physical versions to arrive in the post.
The wallet will use smartphone security features such as facial recognition to help protect users’ personal data. Veterans’ cards for former military personnel will be the first documents supported, followed by a pilot of mobile driver’s licenses “later in 2025.” All UK government services that provide paper or card credentials are expected to offer a digital alternative by 2027. Traditional physical documents will still be available.
“Along with CDs, Walkmans, and cell phones, the overflow drawer filled with letters from the government and the hours spent waiting for an essential appointment will soon become history,” Kyle said in the announcement. “GOV.UK Wallet means that every letter or identity document you receive from the government can be issued to you virtually.”
According to Kyle, the new digital wallet app aims to give UK citizens more control over their private data, making it easier to prove eligibility for welfare benefits and purchase age-restricted products in stores. People in the UK are currently required to provide physical identification (if they are presumed to be underage) when going to clubs or buying alcohol, putting them at risk of it being lost or stolen.
The UK will also launch a new GOV.UK app in the summer of 2025 which will allow users to access government information and eventually complete tasks such as canceling stolen passports and applying for welfare benefits from their phones.
There are also plans to add an AI-powered chatbot, called ‘GOV.UK Chat’, to the app, which TechCrunch Reports developed in partnership with OpenAIAdding “methods for making payments and receiving timely notifications” to government services.
