AusweisApp Bund

Review by eFreeware

Plenty of everyday tasks that once required a trip to an office now expect you to prove who you are through a screen. Opening a bank account, registering an address, applying for a certificate, signing a contract: each one needs a verified identity, and a photo of a document is rarely good enough. That is the gap AusweisApp Bund is built to fill.

Governikus Service GmbH made the app for the Federal Office for Information Security, which commissioned it. The app runs on phones, tablets and computers, letting you confirm who you are online with a German ID, a residence permit or a Union citizen eID card. It is free, carries no advertising and offers no in-app purchases, which fits its role as public infrastructure rather than a product. The install figures back that up: more than 10 million downloads, with an average rating of 3.3 from over 63,000 ratings.

Proving your identity without leaving the house

The core job is simple to describe. A service asks you to confirm your identity, you reach for the card in your wallet, and the app handles the exchange between the card and the service. The app is the piece of software that lets your phone or computer talk to the card.

What makes this more than a convenience is the trust model behind it: you are confirming identity through an official document.

Three types of document work with it: German ID cards, electronic residence permits and eID cards for Union citizens. If you hold one of those and the service on the other end accepts the online ID function, the app is the tool that makes the process work.

Where the app fits into a busy week

The clearest use case is anything administrative. If you have moved and need to update a registration, or you are dealing with a pension, tax or benefits matter that can be handled remotely, the online ID function is often the step that lets you finish the job from home instead of booking an appointment.

It is equally relevant on the commercial side. Banks, insurers and telecom providers in Germany increasingly accept the online ID function for verifying new customers, which means the app can replace a video call or a visit to a branch. Contract signing that needs a verified identity falls into the same category.

There is also a quieter use case: people who simply want fewer copies of their ID floating around. Verifying through the card keeps the proof of identity tied to the document. That matters most for anyone who handles several official processes a year.

What you need before the first attempt

A device compatibility check is available at kartenapp.bund.de, which is the sensible first step. Not every phone, tablet or computer is suitable, and finding that out before you are halfway through an application is far less frustrating than discovering it afterward.

You also need one of the three supported documents, and it has to be one with the online ID function enabled. The app is the software layer that works with a compatible card.

The developer publishes an accessibility declaration for the software, which is a useful signal for anyone who relies on assistive features. The most recent update brings visual adjustments to the interface and improvements to individual accessibility functions, so that side of the app is being worked on rather than left static.

Updates, security and the long view

AusweisApp Bund first appeared in March 2017 and was last updated in October 2026, which tells you something about how it is maintained. An app that handles identity documents has to keep pace with the libraries underneath it, and the changelog reflects that: OpenSSL and Qt have both been refreshed, with patches for named vulnerabilities included.

The same update added support for in-app updates. It also tightened the pairing code used for remote access so that it is only valid for a limited time, and added measures against unwanted content being introduced into the app or into emails it generates. None of that is glamorous, but for software in this category it is the work that matters.

The 3.3 average is worth reading carefully. Ratings for a government utility tend to reflect the whole process a person went through, including the parts the app does not control, such as whether a particular service accepts the online ID function or whether a card was issued with it enabled. I would not treat that number as a verdict on the software alone.

Who gets the most from it

This app is for people who live in Germany, or deal regularly with German institutions, and who hold a German ID card, an electronic residence permit or an eID card for Union citizens.

It suits anyone who would rather complete an identity check at their own desk than arrange an appointment, and it suits people who prefer to keep verified identity tied to the document itself. It is also the natural choice for anyone whose bank or insurer has already asked them to use the online ID function.

Because it is free and free of advertising, it is easy to have it installed and ready. The value shows up the first time a service asks you to confirm who you are and you can do it on the spot.

A utility worth having ready before you need it

AusweisApp Bund is not an app you will open for fun, and it does not pretend to be. It is a single-purpose tool for a specific job: using an official document to prove your identity online. Judged on that basis, it does what the developer set out to do.

My advice is to check the device compatibility page, confirm that your card supports the online ID function, and install the app before you are under time pressure from an application. That way the first time you need it, the groundwork is already done.

It is best suited to residents of Germany and holders of the supported documents who want their official business handled online. If you fall into that group, this is the app that makes the online ID function usable.

What's new in version 2.6.0

- Visuelle Anpassungen und Optimierungen der grafischen Oberfläche. - Optimierung einzelner Barrierefreiheitsfunktionen. - Der Code zum Koppeln über den Fernzugriff hat nun nur noch eine zeitlich begrenzte Gültigkeit. - Unterstützung von In-App Updates. - Verhinderung der möglichen Einschleusung von unerwünschten Inhalten in die Anwendung oder in von der Anwendung generierten E-Mails. - Aktualisierung von OpenSSL (4.0.3) und Qt (6.11.1 - mit Patches für CVE-2026-76151 und CVE-2026-78253).