Status Smart vs GOV.UK ID Check
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Status Smart
Control your home appliances remotely from anywhere. Manage multiple devices simultaneously, set timers for automated functions, and easily share device access with family members. Quick and simple connection to your smart devices.
- Remote appliance control
- Simultaneous device management
- Automated timers
- Family device sharing
- Easy device connection
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Status Smart 1. Remote control: control your home appliances anywhere 2. Simultaneously control: control multiple devices with one app 3. Timer: set timer to perform multiple functions 4. Device sharing: one tap to share devices with family members 5. Easy connection: easily and quickly connect app to devices
GOV.UK ID Check
This app verifies your identity by matching your face to your photo ID. It's used for accessing certain government services and managing your GOV.UK One Login security codes. Supported IDs include UK driving licences, passports, and biometric permits.
- Facial recognition matching
- Photo ID scanning
- Biometric chip scanning (for passports/permits)
- Secure data handling
- Supports multiple UK photo IDs
- Identity confirmation for government services
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Use GOV.UK ID Check to prove your identity when you: • access some HMRC services with Government Gateway • need to change how you get security codes to sign in to your GOV.UK One Login It works by matching your face to your photo ID. Before you start You can use any of the following types of photo ID: • UK photocard driving licence • UK passport • non-UK passport with a biometric chip • UK biometric residence permit (BRP) • UK biometric residence card (BRC) • UK Frontier Worker permit (FWP) You can use an expired driving licence if it expired in the last 90 days and it was issued by DVLA. You can use an expired BRP, BRC or FWP up to 24 months after its expiry date. You will also need: • a well-lit area where you can take a good quality photograph • an iPhone 8 or newer • iOS 16.7 or higher How it works If your photo ID is a driving licence you will: • take a photo of your driving licence • scan your face using your phone If your photo ID is a passport, BRP, BRC or FWP you will: • take a photo of your photo ID • scan the biometric chip in your photo ID using your phone • scan your face using your phone What happens next The app only helps confirm your identity. You will return to the website of the government service you were accessing to view the results of your identity check. Privacy and security Your personal information will not be stored in the app, or on the phone when you finish using it. We collect your data securely and delete it when it is no longer needed.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: GOV.UK ID Check at every 3 weeks against Status Smart's every 6 months. GOV.UK ID Check also leads on ratings volume (5.2K vs 2). Status Smart's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.7). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Status Smart holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GOV.UK ID Check has 5.2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 32% of Status Smart's written reviews are positive against 38% of GOV.UK ID Check's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Status Smart ships an update every 6 months, GOV.UK ID Check every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Status Smart | GOV.UK ID Check |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.8 (5.2K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 31.7% of reviews | 38.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 5.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 16.7 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 208 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Status International (UK) Limited | Government Digital Service |
Customer experience
Status Smart
GOV.UK ID Check
User reviews
Status Smart
From 2 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 💡 Good for basic control
- 🏠 Works well with Alexa
- 💰 Good value for money
- 🚀 Straightforward setup (for some)
Room to improve
- ❌ Difficult pairing process
- 🐛 App frequently crashes/freezes
- ❌ Connectivity issues
- ⚠️ Privacy concerns (data collection)
- ❌ Poor usability in app
GOV.UK ID Check
From 5.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure ID verification
- 👍 Clear instructions
- 🚀 Convenient
- 👍 Impressive technology
Room to improve
- 🐛 Scanning issues with passport chip
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with certain devices/phones
- 🐛 Crashes and errors
- 👓 Difficult for users with vision impairments
- ⏱️ Time-consuming process
Bugs and requests
Status Smart
Reported bugs
15 issues- App keeps not working or huge delay
- Cannot get it to pair
- App freezes when trying to use it
- App doesn't log in anymore
- Network error
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Bulbs keep saying 'connection failed'
- Cannot connect to Alexa
- Bulb doesn't flash to get connected
- Fails to connect at 10% search
- App freezes
- Connection failed
- Device unresponsive
- App doesn't refresh data
- Does not register low power devices
- Does not register intermittent high power usage
Requested features
10 requests- Allow minute adjustment for cost periods
- Implement swiping for graph/date navigation
- Add calendar view for specific date selection
- Add confirmation for switching off plugs
- Allow floating point numbers for usage/cost reminders
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- More granular data, including hourly stats
- More granular data, including hourly stats
- Change breath feature to completely off then on
- Dark mode option
- Siri/Shortcuts integration
GOV.UK ID Check
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inconsistent passport chip scanning
- Facial recognition failures
- App crashes and freezes
- Incorrect name/information parsing
Requested features
4 requests- Improved instructions for passport chip scanning
- Support for more ID types (e.g. driver's licenses)
- Accessibility features for users with disabilities
- Streamlined process for frequent users
In-app purchases
Status Smart
No in-app purchases
GOV.UK ID Check
No in-app purchases









