The govt.nz app

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#3442627 11-Dec-2025 09:24

They either are inundated with feedback or don't care, because I have not receive a reply or acknowledgement of my report on this not working on a new phone.

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MikeB4

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#3442629 11-Dec-2025 09:38

freitasm:

I am not sure RealMe is a waste. It is used across domains and services, it helps with some document requests.

I would think RealMe needs a wider adoption but it is something interesting.

I believe Realme is to be replaced.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

BlakJak

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#3442653 11-Dec-2025 11:49

Citation needed. I have not heard anything about that myself. And Realme was still being trumpeted earlier this year.

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gzt

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#3442657 11-Dec-2025 12:00

freitasm: They either are inundated with feedback or don't care, because I have not receive a reply or acknowledgement of my report on this not working on a new phone.

Lack of automated acknowledgement is unusual.

Groucho

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#3442658 11-Dec-2025 12:01

Intrigued there's a bunch of issues with 'just out of support' iOS devices so I just checked it out on the Google Play Store. Appears for Android it just requires a minimum of Android 1.6 - released WAAAAAAY back in 2009!!! A misprint or...?

freitasm

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#3442659 11-Dec-2025 12:02

Tried loading it today to show the error message to a colleague and the app loaded ok.

I thought could be something on my home network, but I see no errors on my DNS filter, no entry in the IPS and no other blocked activities on the phone.

I wonder if the block is also driven server-side.

In any case, looked around it. Disappointing. No actual services. The digital wallet, as I mentioned before, seems to be a waste of time as Android and iOS offer that functionality.

As it is, a glorified bookmark manager.

My take is... waste of money.

[Edit: showing DNS ok]

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BlakJak

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#3442665 11-Dec-2025 12:26

... again don't expect the earth on day one. I expect they were driven to get the 'framework' out as quickly as possible (to show progress) but that features that may leverage the app in ways that we may find impressive, will come later.

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Groucho

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#3442694 11-Dec-2025 13:34

Probably a good call on a soft public launch so they can iron out whatever bugs with the core app framework then slowly build it up. You can test things to infinity and back but once it goes live and real people use it, that's when the bugs appear.

BlakJak:

... again don't expect the earth on day one. I expect they were driven to get the 'framework' out as quickly as possible (to show progress) but that features that may leverage the app in ways that we may find impressive, will come later.

There's an election next year. I'm sure they'll want the framework bedded in so they can incorporate some of the more useful resources (and headline grabbing features like digital driver licenses) to people as the election gets closer.

mattwnz

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#3442708 11-Dec-2025 14:47

MikeB4:

freitasm:

I am not sure RealMe is a waste. It is used across domains and services, it helps with some document requests.

I would think RealMe needs a wider adoption but it is something interesting.

I believe Realme is to be replaced.

i have found realme to be fine but a bit buggy where logging in. Sometimes it will log me out for no reason during the session on some sites. But there seems to be a lack of support when you have issues with it. Realme identies expire after 10 years and you have to then renew it and that process didn’t go well with poor support.

mattwnz

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#3442714 11-Dec-2025 15:18

I see it is the top iOS free app in NZ at the moment. I was surprised it is only about 23MB in size. But I guess there isn't much to it and it could be more of a container to an online portal. Can't see any reviews for it yet... But I think there are so many other things they could have spent our tax payer dollars on than a very limited phone app which people will install try and delete if worthless to them.

BlakJak

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#3442821 11-Dec-2025 17:28

mattwnz:

I see it is the top iOS free app in NZ at the moment. I was surprised it is only about 23MB in size. But I guess there isn't much to it and it could be more of a container to an online portal. Can't see any reviews for it yet... But I think there are so many other things they could have spent our tax payer dollars on than a very limited phone app which people will install try and delete if worthless to them.

... again, framework for future development. It's unlikely to have cost a very large sum of money in real terms, the whole 'smart investment of taxpayer money' argument loses steam quickly when the potential for an economy-of-scale one-official-app-to-rule-them-all approach picks up steam in the coming years, as agencies move to digital information and service delivery.
This is (as a personal opinion) likely to be a case of build-it-and-they-will-come in conjunction with the desire to be seen to be building things that move the country forwards. I'd call it a small step forward that has probably been overstated - but it's still a forward step, and it'll have strong ROI given time (assuming it's picked up by other agencies).

Government departments will be spending a lot more money than this likely cost, on loads of things that're a lot more arcane or well understood in terms of ROI. Not worth making a mountain out of a molehill on this one in particular I think.

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yitz

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#3442829 11-Dec-2025 18:29

Zero Data gives you free access to government-sponsored websites but does it apply to the app?

https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/no-data-access-government-websites/

mattwnz

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#3442837 11-Dec-2025 18:55

yitz:

Zero Data gives you free access to government-sponsored websites but does it apply to the app?

https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/no-data-access-government-websites/

I imagine that as soon as a device is connected to mobile data other apps and the os may start using the data too for things like notifications and forming things in the background, unless they are all disabled beforehand. So it could catch people out.

Groucho

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#3443070 12-Dec-2025 10:39

BlakJak:

... again, framework for future development. It's unlikely to have cost a very large sum of money in real terms, the whole 'smart investment of taxpayer money' argument loses steam quickly when the potential for an economy-of-scale one-official-app-to-rule-them-all approach picks up steam in the coming years, as agencies move to digital information and service delivery.
This is (as a personal opinion) likely to be a case of build-it-and-they-will-come in conjunction with the desire to be seen to be building things that move the country forwards. I'd call it a small step forward that has probably been overstated - but it's still a forward step, and it'll have strong ROI given time (assuming it's picked up by other agencies).

Government departments will be spending a lot more money than this likely cost, on loads of things that're a lot more arcane or well understood in terms of ROI. Not worth making a mountain out of a molehill on this one in particular I think.

I heard Judith Collins being interviewed about the launch yesterday which sums up everything above. It's the first iteration with services and features to be added along the way. The digital drivers license will be later next year as there's a law change required which takes a while. She claims the whole app was done for under $5M.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2019016456/new-app-for-government-services-released

(spoiler: Judith loves her banking apps)

yitz

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#3443097 12-Dec-2025 13:00

Groucho:

(spoiler: Judith loves her banking apps)

Time for CBDC?

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