myID is the Australian Government's Digital ID app. You log in by entering your myID email address on a government sign in page, selecting Get code, then opening the myID app and entering or accepting the 4-digit code shown in your browser. Most services, including myGov, need at least a Standard ID strength, which means verifying 2 Australian ID documents.
There's no password to type on the website itself. The app on your phone does the proving, using your myID password, face or fingerprint, and the service you're signing in to only gets the details you consent to share.
The part that trips people up isn't the login. It's the ID strength, the email address and what happens when you get a new phone, so those are covered below too.
How to set up myID
You'll need a smart device, a personal email address that isn't shared or a work address, and you must be 15 or older. Then:
- Download the myID app, only from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
- Select the option that says you haven't used myID before.
- Enter your personal email address, create a password, and add your full name and date of birth.
- Verify your ID documents to raise your ID strength above Basic.
Your myID password needs 10 or more characters with at least one upper case letter, one lower case letter, and one number or special character. Once it's set up you can switch on face or fingerprint login in the app.
The 3 ID strengths and what each one opens up
| ID strength | What you verify | What it gets you into |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Your personal details only (or just one document) | Limited participating government services |
| Standard | Any 2 Australian ID documents | Most services, including myGov and Centrelink |
| Strong | Australian ID documents plus a photo check | All participating services, and myGov account recovery |
For Standard, the documents myID accepts are an Australian passport (current or no more than 3 years expired), a driver licence or learner permit, a birth certificate, a visa via your foreign passport, an ImmiCard, a citizenship certificate, or a Medicare card. The Medicare option only appears after you've verified one of the others, and your name generally has to match on both.
Here's the catch for Strong: you need an Australian passport to verify your photo. The only other option is a Western Australian driver licence. If you hold neither, you can't reach Strong, and myID says to contact the service you're trying to use about other options.
How to log in with myID
The steps are the same on most government sites. Using myGov as the example:
- On the sign in page, select Sign in with Digital ID.
- Choose myID as your identity provider.
- Enter your myID email address and select Get code.
- Log in to the myID app and enter or accept the 4-digit code.
- Go back to your browser and consent to sharing your details.
For myGov you connect myID once, either from the sign in page or inside myGov under My account, Account settings, then Connect next to Digital ID. With a Strong myID you can also recover a myGov account you've lost access to, as long as your name, date of birth and email match in both.
Using myID for your business
To act for a business, your myID generally has to be linked to the business's ABN in Relationship Authorisation Manager, a separate service. The principal authority, the person responsible for the business, must link first, with at least a Standard myID. Anyone else then needs to be authorised by the principal authority or an authorisation administrator.
myID's own page says Standard is enough for all government online services for business, so your staff don't need passports to help with your admin. If you're winding a business down, you'll also use this access to cancel your ABN.
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New phone or several devices
This is where people lock themselves out. When you set up myID on a new device, choose the option that says you've used myID before, then enter your latest myID email address. myID warns that setting up with a different email address locks your myID on all your devices and you won't be able to use it.
- Not sure which email you used? Search your inboxes for [email protected].
- Your ID strength is set per device. A phone at Standard and a tablet at Strong are both possible, and the device you're using has to meet the service's minimum.
- If you transfer the app to a new phone without re-verifying, you'll get an error at sign in. Go to More, then Reset app, and set up again.
- On Android, the app only works on Android 11 or later.
Keeping your myID safe
myID doesn't store your ID documents in the app, only core details like your name, date of birth and email. The photo from face verification is deleted after the one-off check. Your side of the deal: don't share your myID or password, turn on push notifications so you see every login, and check My devices regularly for anything you don't recognise.
If you've been caught in a data breach, myID suggests raising your ID strength as high as you can and verifying a new or re-issued document. Lodging your return and claiming things like work from home deductions all runs through this login, so it's worth getting right.
My advice
Go straight to Standard when you set it up, and to Strong if you've got an Australian passport, so you never get stuck at a recovery screen. Use a personal email you'll keep for years, not a work one, because changing it later is fiddly and getting it wrong on a new phone locks you out.
Frequently asked questions
How do I log in with myID?
Select Sign in with Digital ID on the service's sign in page, choose myID, enter your myID email address and select Get code. Then open the myID app and enter or accept the 4-digit code, and consent to sharing your details.
What ID strength do I need for myGov?
You need at least a Standard ID strength to sign in to myGov or create an account with myID. You need a Strong ID strength to recover a myGov account you've lost access to.
Can I get a Strong myID without a passport?
Only with a Western Australian driver licence. myID says you need an Australian passport to verify your photo for Strong, with the WA licence as the one alternative.
Why is my myID locked?
A common cause is setting up myID on a new device with a different email address. myID warns this locks your myID on all devices. Search your email for [email protected] to find the address you used.
How old do you have to be to use myID?
You need to be 15 years or older to set up myID, and some government services have their own age rules on top.
