Help

Signing in to myGov

Before you sign in to myGov you need to select the Create an account button on the myGov sign in page.

Username

You can sign in to myGov with:

• your myGov username
• the email address you used to create your myGov account
• your mobile number (if you have enabled this option)

Forgotten username

If you have forgotten your username, use either of the following:

• the email address you told us when you created your account
• select the Forgot username link on the sign in page.

myGov username

We email you a username when you create a myGov account. Your myGov username has 2 letters and 6 numbers, for example, XY123456.

Email

You can sign in with the email address you used to create your myGov account.

Each myGov account must have a different email address. So if you share an email with someone, only 1 of you can use that email.

Mobile number

You can sign in with your mobile number if:

• it is not already used by someone else when they sign in
• you can verify it belongs to you by entering a code we sent you
• you have chosen to use your mobile number to sign in, in 'Account settings'.

Password

Your password will be displayed on screen as you enter it by selecting 'Show password'.

Your myGov password must:

• have at least 7 characters
• have at least 1 letter
• have at least 1 number
• not be the same as 1 of your last passwords
• not use the same character repeatedly or have any sequential characters (for example, you can't use AAAA or 1234).

Your password can have any of the following characters: ! @ # $ % ^ & *

Forgotten password

If you have forgotten your password, select the Forgot password link on the myGov sign in page.

If you get your password wrong 5 times, myGov will temporarily lock your account for 2 hours.

More information is available if you have entered the wrong password too many times and have a locked account.

Secret questions and answers

Secret questions and answers help keep your account secure. You can use the suggested questions or you can create your own.

When you sign in, if you get the answer to your secret question wrong 5 times, myGov will temporarily lock your account for 2 hours.

If you cannot remember the answers to your secret questions after 2 hours and you keep getting the answer wrong, your account may become permanently locked. If this happens, you will need to create a new myGov account.

Security codes

Using a code is the preferred secure option when signing in to myGov. You can get a code by SMS or from the myGov Code Generator app. Using your password and a code to sign in is known as two factor authentication. The two factor strengthens the security of your account by using a security token, instead of an answer to a question, someone else may know.

Code sent by SMS

A one-time use code is sent by SMS to your mobile phone.

If you change your mobile number, you must update your myGov account first, in your account settings. If you don't update your number, you won't get the SMS code and be able to sign in. You won't have access to your account and you'll need to call the myGov helpdesk and create a new account.

Code from the myGov Code Generator app

A one-time use code is created by the myGov Code Generator app on your mobile device.

The app is your best sign in option if you can't get SMS codes from your mobile phone. This is useful if you're travelling overseas, have limited mobile reception or prefer using the app to get your code.

You can download the app from the App Store or Google Play. To set it up, you need to agree to the Terms of Use. During set up, your mobile device with the app, will register in your myGov sign in settings. You can only register 1 device with the app, at any time. If you change your device you must remove this device first, before setting the app up on another device. If you want to delete the app, first you must change your sign in option or have a sign in back-up. If you don't do this, you will lose access to your account.

Sign in back-up

Make sure you set up a back-up sign in option if you use this app. Your back-up will let you sign in to your account if you can't use the app. To set up your back-up:

1. go to Account settings
2. select Mobile number to enter or update your number
3. select Sign in options and turn on Receive a code by SMS, myGov Code Generator will stay on as well.

Deleting your app or changing your device

If you want to delete the app or want to use it on another device, first you must remove it from your myGov Account settings. To remove the app:

1. go to Account settings
2. select Sign in options
3. choose Receive a code by SMS or Answer a secret question, and turn it on. To have a sign in back-up you should select Receive a code by SMS and make sure your mobile number in your settings is current.
4. select myGov Code Generator app
5. select Remove to remove the device and this will turn off this sign in option
6. uninstall the app from your device.

Lose your device

If you lose your device with the app installed, you can use your sign in back-up if:

• your back-up is already set up
• you still have access to the mobile number registered to your account.

If you don't have a back-up or you can't access the mobile number, you'll need to call the myGov helpdesk and create a new account.

To use your-back-up sign in option:

1. go to my.gov.au and enter your username and password
2. select I cannot access my app
3. select Receive a code by SMS
4. enter the SMS code, sent to your registered mobile number

To remove your device, you'll need to:

5. go to Account settings
6. select Sign in options
7. choose Receive a code by SMS or Answer a secret question, and turn it on. To have a sign in back-up you should select Receive a code by SMS and make sure your mobile number in your settings is current.
8. select myGov Code Generator app
9. select Remove to remove the device and this will turn off this sign in option.

You can then download and set up the myGov Code Generator app on your new device.

Getting a new device

If you get a new device, first you need to remove the old device from your myGov Account settings. Then, you can download and set up the app on your new device. To remove your device:

1. sign in to myGov and then go to Account settings
2. select Sign in options
3. choose Receive a code by SMS or Answer a secret question, and turn it on. To have a sign in back-up you should select Receive a code by SMS and make sure your mobile number in your settings is current.
4. select myGov Code Generator app and select Remove, to remove your device. This will turn off will turn off myGov Code Generator app.

You can then download and set up the myGov Code Generator app on your new device. When you set up the app, your new device will automatically register in your myGov account settings and turn on this sign in option.

myGov PIN

You can sign in to a supported app with your myGov PIN if you have connected the app to your myGov account.

Forgotten PIN

If you have forgotten your myGov PIN, select the Forgot PIN link on the supported app's sign in page.

If you get your myGov PIN wrong 3 times, your access to the supported app will be temporarily locked and you will need to reset your PIN.

Locked account

If your account has been temporarily locked, you will need to wait 2 hours before trying again. You can unlock your myGov account sooner if you have registered your mobile phone with myGov and receive myGov codes.

If your account has been permanently locked, you will need to create a new myGov account.

Signing out of myGov

Make sure you sign out of myGov when you have finished using it, especially if you are using a public computer, such as in a library.

Managing your myGov account

You can change most of your myGov settings in 'Account settings'.

Password - update

Your myGov password must:

• have at least 7 characters
• have at least 1 letter
• have at least 1 number
• not be the same as 1 of your last passwords
• not use the same character repeatedly or have any sequential characters (for example, AAAA or 1234)

Your password can have any of the following characters: ! @ # $ % ^ & *

Secret questions - change or add new ones

You can use the suggested questions or you can create your own. You can edit or add secret questions and answers in 'Account settings'.

myGov PIN - update

Your myGov PIN must:

• have 4 numbers
• not have repeating pairs or sequential numbers (for example, 1212 or 1234)
• not have 4 of the same number (for example, 1111)

You can change your myGov PIN through your myGov account in 'Account settings'.

If you do not have access to your mobile device, you can disconnect your device in 'Account settings'.

Reset myGov PIN

You can reset your myGov PIN if you select the Forgot PIN link on the supported app's sign in page.

Email address - update

If you change your email address, you can update it in 'Account settings':

• Email address - this is the email address that you can use to sign in and is the email address that we send codes to
• Inbox notifications - this is the email address where we will send a notification if you have a new message in your myGov Inbox, and you have chosen to receive notifications by email
• Update your details - this is the email address we will send to some of your linked services so they know you have changed your email address.

Mobile number - update

If you change your mobile number, you can update it in 'Account settings':

• Mobile number - this is the mobile number you can use as your username (if you have set this up) and is the mobile number that we send codes to
• Inbox notifications - this is the mobile number where we will send a notification if you have a new message in your myGov Inbox, if you have chosen to receive your notifications by text message
• Update your details - this is the mobile number we will send to some of your linked services so that they know you have changed your mobile number

Close your myGov account

If you close your account you can no longer use online government services through myGov, and you won't be able to access your Inbox messages.

If you create a new myGov account, you will not be able to access your myGov messages from your old account.

You can close your myGov account in 'Account settings'.

Travelling overseas - accessing myGov

While you're overseas, you can still sign in to myGov.

However, to sign in with a code sent by SMS, you'll need to:

• use the same mobile phone number registered to your myGov account
• be able to get the code by SMS, while outside Australia
• connect to a mobile phone network compatible with your phone service provider.

If you can't get text messages while you're overseas, you won't be able to sign in to your myGov account. Before you travel, you'll need to change how you sign in. You can change your sign in option to use the myGov Code Generator app or secret questions and answers.

To change how you sign in to myGov, you can either:

• download and set up the myGov Code Generator app on your mobile device
• use secret questions and answers.

If you don't have the myGov Code Generator app, you can download it from the App Store or Google Play and then set it up. You must do this before you travel overseas.

Codes and messages sent by myGov

Emailed codes

myGov sends a code to your email address when you create an account. This verifies that the email address is valid and you have access to it. If you did not receive it, check your 'junk' email folder. To get all messages from myGov, add myGov as a trusted sender. myGov may send you an email when you make changes in 'Account settings', like resetting your password or updating your mobile number used to receive sign in codes.

Emailed messages

Email messages sent by myGov will always have noreply@my.gov.au as the sender and subject. Emails from myGov tell you what the reason is for the message and will never have a link to a website or a phone number.

Services

Services are government programs that offer online services through myGov. These include:

• Australian JobSearch
• Australian Taxation Office
• Centrelink
• Child Support
• Department of Health Applications Portal
• Department of Veterans' Affairs
• HousingVic Online Services
• Medicare
• My Aged Care
• My Health Record
• National Disability Insurance Scheme
• National Redress Scheme
• State Revenue Office Victoria

Linking services to your myGov account

We might ask you questions to make sure we link the correct record to your myGov account. We do this to protect your private information and security.

You might have a code that we have given you to link your service to your myGov account. We might have given you this code when you came into a service centre or over the phone. You will need to enter this code when you link a service to your myGov account.

Unable to link to a service

If you are unable to link a service to your myGov account, contact that service directly.

Information about you that myGov keeps

If you link Centrelink, Medicare or the Australian Taxation Office to your myGov account, we store your legal name and date of birth.

More information is available in Privacy.

Your name

We use your legal name for your myGov account. myGov uses information collected and verified by services you have linked to your myGov account. The services verify and record your legal name based on documents like your Passport or Birth Certificate.

If you want to change your name in myGov, you will need to update the legal name held by services linked to your account.

myGov Inbox and messages

Change how we tell you about new messages

You can choose whether we send you an email or a text message when you have a new message in 'Account settings' then 'Inbox notifications'.

Lost messages when you unlink services or close your account

If you unlink a service from your myGov account or close your myGov account, you will no longer have access to messages from that service in your myGov Inbox. Before you unlink a service or close your account, save or print any Inbox messages you want to keep from the service.

You can contact the service to find out if you can get copies of your myGov Inbox messages.

Storing Inbox messages in folders

You can create folders in your myGov Inbox to store your myGov messages. Some messages have an expiry date that is set by the service who sent it. When a message expires, it will be removed from the folder it is stored in.

For copies of your expired mail, contact the service and ask for a copy.

Inbox messages from services

If you need to receive messages from services in another way, contact the service to change your preference:

• Australian Taxation Office (ATO) - call ATO on 13 28 61 and select option 5
• Centrelink - access the Electronic Messaging and Letters section in your linked Centrelink service
• Child Support - call Child Support on 13 12 72
• Department of Veterans' Affairs - call DVA General Enquiries on 133 254 or for Regional Callers 1800 555 254
• HousingVic Online Services - call HousingVic on 1800 961 883
• Medicare - access the Medicare letters online section in your linked Medicare service
• National Disability Insurance Scheme - contact details can be found on the Contact us page
• National Redress Scheme - contact details can be found on the National Redress Scheme website
• State Revenue Office Victoria - contact details can be found on the Contact us page

Update your details with services

Enter new contact details to myGov and we will send them to these services, if you have them linked to your myGov account:

• Australian JobSearch
• Australian Taxation Office
• Centrelink
• Medicare
• State Revenue Office Victoria

You can use 'Account settings' then 'Update your details' if:

• you have one of the services listed above linked to your myGov account
• your new home or postal address is an Australian address
• the date of your update is today or in the past.

The updates you make will be sent to services linked to your myGov account. If you have other linked services that do not appear on the above list, for example the Department of Veterans' Affairs, you will need to go to their online accounts to notify them of the change.

Security and privacy

The information you complete on the 'Update your details' page will not be stored by myGov. Your updates are stored securely in the individual participating member services' IT systems and will not be used to identify you or your myGov account.

The collection, storage and use of all personal information is managed in accordance with Australian Government security and privacy requirements. More information is available in Security and Privacy.

myGov Digital Assistant

myGov digital assistant (DA) can help you 24/7 with general questions about using myGov. It can save you time and you may not have to call us. It's available on the myGov website on your desktop or mobile device.

You can ask the DA questions like:

• How do I create a myGov account?
• Can you help me link a service to my account?
• What do I do if I've locked or suspended my account?

The DA can't help you with:

• error codes
• member service
• technical problems.

Please don't share your personal details with the DA.