'iAM Smart' registration process simplified

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) announced today (July 8) that new functions will be launched in the "iAM Smart" mobile app to simplify the registration process and enhance the user experience.

To further enable members of the public to register for and upgrade to the "iAM Smart+" account that provides a digital signing function, the OGCIO will launch the new version (3.5.0) of the "iAM Smart" mobile app on July 11. With mobile phones supporting the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, members of the public can upgrade to this new version to read the card face data from the new smart identity (ID) card chip and easily register for or upgrade to "iAM Smart+" via the "iAM Smart" mobile app on their own, without the need to visit self-registration kiosks or service counters in person. The new registration process only requires a single shot of the ID card, instead of shooting the ID card from multiple angles.

Members of the public who have not registered for "iAM Smart" can directly register for an "iAM Smart+" account by downloading and using the new version of the "iAM Smart" mobile app. To enable the existing "iAM Smart" users to upgrade to "iAM Smart+" by themselves, the OGCIO will gradually issue a push notification inviting them to "Upgrade to iAM Smart+" through the new version of the "iAM Smart" mobile app (Photo 1). Existing "iAM Smart+" users need not register again. Members of the public can refer to the attached photo to know whether they are "iAM Smart" or "iAM Smart+" users (Photo 2).

It is very simple to register for or upgrade to "iAM Smart+" with the new version of the "iAM Smart" mobile app. The procedures include a single shot of the front of the new smart ID card and placing it near the NFC antenna of the mobile phone, followed by facial recognition to verify the identity. The mobile phone concerned must be using iOS 14.0/Android 12.0 or above. For details, please refer to the attachment. The information is also available on the "iAM Smart" thematic website (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/media-info.html?i=207#tabs-3). Meanwhile, members of the public can still register for or upgrade to "iAM Smart+" at more than 50 self-registration kiosks located across various districts, registration service counters of any post office or via the mobile registration services.

A spokesman of the OGCIO stressed, "The existing legal requirements and system security design only allow the government-authorized 'iAM Smart' system to read only the card face data from the smart ID card chip through the 'iAM Smart' mobile app as initiated by the citizen. The user registration procedures have been significantly simplified, as multi-level data verification and secured encryption technologies are adopted throughout the process to ensure the identity of the registrant is verified in a secure, reliable and accurate manner. The entire process fully complies with relevant ordinances, as well as requirements for information security and protection of personal data privacy."

"The invitation for 'Upgrade to iAM Smart+' or push notifications will only be sent through the 'iAM Smart' system. The entire 'iAM Smart+' registration or upgrade process will only be conducted within the 'iAM Smart' mobile app. Members of the public should stay vigilant to suspicious phone calls, SMS, emails, etc, claiming to assist with registering for or upgrading to 'iAM Smart+'. They shall not provide personal information to scammers or click on suspicious links directly from SMS or emails," the OGCIO spokesman added.

Since its launch in late 2020, the "iAM Smart" one-stop personalized digital services platform has already accumulated over 2.7 million registrations and provided over 380 government, public and private online services with an average of over 100,000 logins per day. The OGCIO will introduce more new functions to further enhance the user experience and simplify the operation workflow, with the goal of fully adopting the "iAM Smart" platform to provide one-stop digital services and realising a "single portal for online government services" by 2025.

Members of the public can download and use the latest version of the "iAM Smart" mobile app for free from the "iAM Smart" thematic website at www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/download.html or Apple App Store, Google Play and Huawei AppGallery.