People’s expectations of digital services are changing - including their expectations of government. Research consistently shows that more people are becoming familiar with AI-powered tools in their everyday lives. Recent figures published by Ofcom suggest that just over half of adults (54%) say they use AI tools, compared to 3 in 10 (31%) the year before, and that three-quarters of online adults (75%) read AI-generated search summaries at least sometimes. This growing familiarity means many users now expect services to meet them in a more conversational, responsive way.
Today, we’re officially launching GOV.UK Chat in the GOV.UK app to do just that. This is a new way for people to get answers from government using everyday language, through the convenience of their phones, at whatever time suits them.
This is the biggest change to how people can interact with government content since the GOV.UK site was launched in 2012. Instead of navigating or searching 80,000 pages of guidance, users can now use the app to ask a question and get a conversational response, grounded in official government information and remaining firmly rooted in the principles of clarity, accuracy and trust.
This supports the vision set out in the roadmap for a modern digital government - we are creating a new generation of personalised, joined-up public services, which make it easier for people to find what they need, when they need it.
Why we’re launching GOV.UK Chat now
We’re releasing GOV.UK Chat in the GOV.UK app following a period of careful testing that has given us confidence to make it more widely available. We used the Scan > Pilot > Scale approach set out in the AI Opportunities Plan, a way of working that included one of the largest user research studies GDS has ever undertaken. We’ve previously written about the key things we’ve learned during our research and testing over the last couple of years, and how these insights have informed our delivery approach.
Since the soft launch on 26 March 2026, GOV.UK Chat has been available to GOV.UK app users without any proactive communications. This allowed us to observe how people used the service in real conditions, ensure our safety measures are working as planned, learn where Chat is working best and identify potential improvement areas. In the weeks that have followed the soft launch:
- more than 7,800 people have used GOV.UK Chat
- it has handled more than 15,000 questions
- we're seeing the same level of performance that we achieved in our recent pilot.
What people are using GOV.UK Chat for
During our testing, GOV.UK Chat has proved particularly helpful for people navigating common but complex life moments, such as:
- becoming a new parent and understanding childcare support
- buying a home for the first time
- exploring apprenticeships or understanding income tax
- planning for retirement and understanding the State Pension.
Since the soft release demand has been strongest for answers relating to tax, driving and transport, and benefits.
In user research sessions, people told us they valued:
- being able to ask questions ‘in plain English’
- getting a clear starting point without feeling overwhelmed
- having direct links back to the source guidance on GOV.UK.
The insights we are gaining are shaping how we continue to develop the service, so that we can expand the features and functionality of GOV.UK Chat in the ways that will help people most.
Built with safety, trust and transparency at its core
We know trust matters, especially when introducing new technology into public services. That’s why GOV.UK Chat has been designed with strong safeguards:
- it clearly signposts when users should check the original guidance
- it does not attempt to provide advice
- it is monitored and evaluated to ensure accuracy and safety.
Before releasing GOV.UK Chat, we worked with security experts, including the AI Security Institute (AISI), to carry out thorough safety checks and test the system's strength against potential risks. We also made privacy a key priority throughout development - GOV.UK Chat lets people know they should not share personal information, as well as ensuring the system filters out any personal information that may be provided.
What’s next
This launch marks the start of a change in how people can choose to interact with government. Right now, GOV.UK Chat helps users find and understand trusted information. In the future, we plan to build on this foundation and add further features to help give people their time back.
We’ll continue to learn from how people use GOV.UK Chat in the app, improve the quality of responses, and explore how it can better support onward journeys when people need to contact departments or services directly.
Most importantly, we’ll keep listening to users - and using what we learn to make public services work better for everyone.
To access GOV.UK Chat, download the GOV.UK app. More information on how to do this is on GOV.UK
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