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myGov Passkeys and Codes
Set Up a Passkey, Fix Codes That Don't Arrive, Get Back In

myGov lets you sign in with a passkey instead of waiting for a text. Here's how to set one up, what to do when the code doesn't come, and where your bank fits into the move away from SMS.

Updated 11 October 2026
8 min read
Brisbane, QLD

In This Guide

  1. Setting Up a myGov Passkey
  2. myGov Not Sending Your Code?
  3. myGov Account Locked or Can't Log In
  4. Banks and SMS Codes: What's Actually Changing

myGov supports passkeys, and for many people they're the easiest way to stop relying on a text message or the code generator app. You can register up to three.

We're not Services Australia

We can help you with your phone, computer and sign-in settings. We can't see or change your myGov, Centrelink, Medicare or ATO records, and we'll never ask for your myGov password. For account problems Services Australia has to fix, contact them directly through my.gov.au.

1. Setting Up a myGov Passkey

  1. Sign in to myGov the way you normally do.
  2. Go to your sign-in settings and choose to set up a passkey.
  3. Your phone or computer asks where to save it — iCloud Keychain on Apple, Google Password Manager on Android, or Windows Hello on a PC. Confirm with your face, fingerprint or PIN.
  4. Next time, choose to sign in with a passkey.

Requirements, per myGov: iOS or iPadOS 16+, macOS Ventura+, Android 9+, Edge or Chrome on Windows, Edge, Safari or Chrome on Mac, or ChromeOS. Full instructions: myGov — Use passkeys.

Register more than one

myGov allows up to three passkeys. Put one on your phone and one on your computer, so losing a single device doesn't lock you out.

2. myGov Not Sending Your Code?

Before you assume myGov is down, check the boring things — they're the cause most of the time:

  • Is the mobile number on your account still yours? An old number means the code is going somewhere else.
  • Signal and blocking: poor reception, a call-blocking or spam-filter app, or a full SMS inbox can hold codes back.
  • Too many requests: asking for several codes in a row can make the earlier ones invalid. Wait, then request one.
  • Switch method: a passkey or the myGov code generator app avoids SMS entirely.

If none of that works, it's an account issue for Services Australia, not a device fault.

3. myGov Account Locked or Can't Log In

myGov locks after too many unsuccessful attempts. Use the "Forgot" options on the sign-in page, and if that fails, contact myGov through my.gov.au rather than searching for a phone number — fake "government support" numbers are a known scam.

What we can do on our side: make sure your phone receives texts, set up the code generator or a passkey, and sort out the device that's causing trouble.

4. Banks and SMS Codes: What's Actually Changing

You'll read that banks are "banning" SMS codes. That's not right. What has happened:

  • Visa told Australian card issuers to offer something better than an SMS code as the only check on online card payments by October 2026 — for example in-app approval, biometrics or passkeys.
  • Some banks already use passkeys or app approval (ubank since 2024, ANZ Plus since 2025).
  • Since 1 July 2026, business texts need a registered sender ID, and unregistered ones can show as "Unverified".
  • None of the big four banks has announced a date to stop sending SMS codes.
The rule that never changes

No bank, myGov, Microsoft or legitimate tech business will ever ask you to read a code out over the phone. If someone asks, hang up. Report it at Scamwatch.

Need a Hand With myGov or Banking Apps?

We set up passkeys, the code generator and banking app approvals on your phone, with you in the room.

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Sources

myGov — Use passkeys · Visa media release, 12 Sep 2024 (Security Roadmap for Australia) · ACMA SMS Sender ID Register · Scamwatch. Checked 11 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

myGov passkeys, codes and banking

It's a way to sign in to myGov with your face, fingerprint or device PIN instead of a password and code. It's saved on your phone or computer and only works on the real myGov site.
Up to three. Registering one on your phone and one on your computer means losing a single device won't lock you out.
Most often the mobile number on the account is out of date, there's poor signal, or a blocking app is holding the message. Requesting several codes in a row can also invalidate earlier ones. A passkey or the code generator app avoids SMS.
Use the Forgot options on the myGov sign-in page. If that doesn't work, contact myGov through my.gov.au. Don't use phone numbers from search ads, as fake government support numbers are a known scam.
Not as a ban. Visa required card issuers to offer alternatives to SMS codes as the only check on online card payments by October 2026. Some banks already use passkeys or app approval, and none of the big four has set a date to stop SMS.
No, and nobody else should either. We help with your phone and computer settings while you sign in yourself.

myGov and Banking Sign-In Help from Geeks Brisbane

Passkeys and code apps set up on your devices, at home or remotely, with you in control of your own logins.

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