New SingPass Mobile app to launch as one-stop touchpoint between citizens and govt

SINGPASS Mobile, a new mobile app that will serve as a one-stop touchpoint for citizens to access government digital services, will be launched in the second half of 2018.

Vivian Balakrishnan, minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative, unveiled the app in his update on the National Digital Identity (NDI) project at the Committee of Supply debate on Thursday.

With the app, citizens will no longer need to remember long passwords, carry a physical token or worry about the non-delivery or delayed delivery of one-time passwords (OTP) sent via SMS when using e-government services.

Instead, a push notification will be sent via their app; and citizens will automatically be authenticated after entering a six-digit pin or using their fingerprint. Overseas-based users will be able to use the app as an alternative 2FA (two-factor authentication) option and authenticate themselves for e-government services using their smartphones without the need for physical tokens.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "The new SingPass Mobile app will enable citizens to authenticate themselves more conveniently and securely."

The Business Times understands that features which allow citizens to access government digital services will be progressively added to the app, in a bid to make it a one-stop touchpoint between citizens and the government.

The NDI project, which seeks to build a system to provide users with a single digital identity to transact with both the government and private sector more securely and seamlessly, is planned to be operational in 2020.