myGov Code Generator

Services Australia

About this app

About the app

The myGov Code Generator app creates codes. You enter a code from the app when you’re signing in to your myGov account at my.gov.au. You can’t sign in to your myGov account through the app.

You use the code generated by the app instead of SMS codes or secret questions.

Set up the app

After you download the app, you need to set it up on your device. The app will generate codes after you’ve finished setting it up.

During set up:

•  we’ll ask you to read and accept the Terms of Use
•  we’ll ask you to set up SMS codes as your sign in back-up, if you use secret questions
•  your myGov sign in option will change to use a code from this app, instead of SMS codes or secret questions
•  your myGov account sign in settings will automatically register your device for the app.

Using the app

Once you’ve set up the app on your device:

1.  go to my.gov.au
2.  sign in to myGov with your username and password
3.  open the app and enter the 6 digit code.

Uninstalling the app or getting a new device

You could lose access to your myGov account if you:

•  uninstall the app from your device
•  get a new device.

To prevent losing access to your account, you must change your myGov account sign in settings.

If you lose your device

If you lose your device with the app installed, you can still access your account with your sign in back-up. You’ll need to change your myGov account setting sign in options. If you don’t have a back-up, you’ll lose access to your account.

App timer and code

A new code will display every 30 seconds. A countdown timer resets each time a new code generates. You have a further 30 seconds to use the code before it expires.

You’ll need to use a new code each time you sign in to your myGov account. You can copy and paste the code, if you sign in to my.gov.au on the same device.

More help

Go to my.gov.au or call the myGov helpdesk on 13 23 07 and select option 1.

Ratings and reviews

This app is essential if you want access to your Australian Government services online. While you can log in to my.gov.au using "secret answers" you cannot access ATO (aus. tax office) without using SMS as a secondary form of authentication. But if you don't have an australian mobile number, or are living or traveling overseas, then you can't receive SMS, and this app is critical. I found that it has bugs. When you first run the app, it walks you through getting the device registered. Then, later, when I went to access it again, it has no option to get a code, and walks you through registering again, which fails, because you can only register once. To get around this, I went back-back-back until it exited the app. Then when I started it again, it immediately showed me a code. Progress! Unfortunately, this was broken too. It gave the old code from earlier, and each time the timer counted down from 30 seconds, it kept giving the same old code, which was invalid. To get around this, I went to settings, did a "force stop" of the app, and started it again. Now it's working. Bloody Australians. Time to exit the pub, and go back to the office and get to work, and fix these bugs.

Absolute disgrace of an app. How can you allow such garbage to get through testing? I'm an IT admin and I found it difficult to use, how are others going to use it? Either fix the app or switch to a push system or let us use our own authenticator apps. Specifically what's wrong? Well if you hit back after you finish setting it up, it drops back to the setup page! Then you have to go back to my.gov and remove the sign in option, then back on again (entering a password each time). Junk.

Total POS. At the tap the code to copy it screen, after tapping the code and getting a 'code copied' message, it just sits on the screen. Way to go, great job. None of the three options at the top left of the screen offer a route forward. Too bad if i really needed to use the app.

What's new

Updated to support Android 13