GOV.UK ID Check vs HM | DCC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
HM | DCC
Control your model railway system wirelessly with this app. Build your locomotive library, customize their settings, and design your dream layout with untethered control over points, signals, and turntables. Enjoy free sound profiles and upgrade existing systems.
- Wireless model railway control
- Locomotive customization
- On-the-fly setting adjustments
- Layout design tool
- Controllable points, signals, turntables
- Free locomotive sound profiles
- Bluetooth® device linking
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The official app for setting up and controlling your HM7000 range of products. HM | DCC is the new model railway control system that makes it simple to build your library of locomotives and have ultimate control over them in the palm of your hand. Customise your locomotives with images, tinker, tailor & test settings on the fly to perfect your locomotive’s running style. Design your dream layout and manoeuvre locomotives through controllable points, signals, and turntables with untethered control. Easily set up your system. Log in*, link up your Bluetooth® HM devices, power-cycle and away you go. Control your system free of wires. Complete wireless & untethered control of your layout. Upgrade previous systems without ripping out installed controllers and components. Personalise your locomotives. Fill your engine shed with your fleet of locomotives, choose the perfect photo, and programme their settings to see locomotive running styles change instantaneously. Enjoy completely FREE locomotive sound profiles. Connect your HM7000-TXS decoders to HM | DCC and relish a plethora of class locomotive sounds for download. Keep up to date with the latest releases and get more locomotive sound profiles to play with on the day of release. Design your dream layout. Use the in-built Track Builder to draw up and design the perfect layout. Then, export a list easily to know what you need to build it. Everyone’s included. Functions with OO, TT and N scale gauges. Upgrade your previous DCC products to work with HM | DCC. Upgrade “DCC ready” locomotives to HM | DCC app control with HM7000 decoders. Control locomotives fitted with non-Bluetooth® and HM7000 Bluetooth® decoders in parallel. Explore the different ways you can upgrade via the Hornby.com website. *Please note: A Hornby.com account is required for HM | DCC app use. This can be easily created from the Hornby.com website. Internet access is required for device reset, profile download, hardware updates, app updates and app login. Disclaimer: Please ensure that your device is fully compatible with both the HM | DCC app and the HM7000 range of products prior to any purchase. Devices older than 5 years may work but cannot be recommended for control. If unsure, please visit the Hornby.com website or contact Hornby Hobbies customer care.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: GOV.UK ID Check at 4.8 against HM | DCC's 3.0. GOV.UK ID Check also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). HM | DCC's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 38%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, 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.
GOV.UK ID Check holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GOV.UK ID Check has 5.2K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of GOV.UK ID Check's written reviews are positive against 56% of HM | DCC's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
GOV.UK ID Check ships an update every 3 weeks, HM | DCC every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GOV.UK ID Check | HM | DCC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (5.2K ratings) — better | 3.0 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 38.3% of reviews | 56.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5.2K — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.7 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Government Digital Service | Hornby Hobbies Ltd |
Customer experience
GOV.UK ID Check
HM | DCC
Bugs and requests
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
HM | DCC
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
GOV.UK ID Check
No in-app purchases
HM | DCC
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is GOV.UK ID Check free?
Is HM | DCC free?
Which has better reviews, GOV.UK ID Check or HM | DCC?
Do GOV.UK ID Check or HM | DCC have ads?
Which is updated more often, GOV.UK ID Check or HM | DCC?
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