Best NDIS Apps for Participants in 2026: Complete Guide

The official NDIS app is the my NDIS app, made by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). It lets you see your plan and budget on your phone and, if you self-manage, make claims. This guide explains how to set it up, what it shows, how it relates to the participant portals, and when the NDIS can fund an app, a tablet or a phone, which is where many participants get caught out.

Everything below is from the NDIA’s own pages, with the date each was current.

NDIS App: Quick Summary

• The official app is the my NDIS app, available from the Apple App Store and Google Play
• You’ll need iOS 16.6 or above, or Android 11.0 or above, your NDIS number, and a myGov account
• It shows your NDIS number, plan dates, goals, and the funding available in each support category
• Claims: self-managed participants can make claims in the app
• Phones and tablets are on the NDIA’s list of supports that are not NDIS supports, but you can apply to use one, or an accessibility or communication app, as a replacement support

How to Set Up the my NDIS App

According to the NDIA’s guide How to use the my NDIS app (current as of 20 August 2026):

1. Check your device. You need iOS 16.6 or above on an Apple phone or tablet, or Android 11.0 or above. If your device is older, you can update it, or use a participant portal on a computer instead.
2. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
3. Sign in with your own NDIS number. If you are a nominee or child representative, enter your own NDIS number and details, not the participant’s. Your NDIS number is on your plan.
4. Confirm with the SMS code the NDIA sends the first time, then set up a PIN.
5. Connect your myGov account. You need to do this once to keep using the app. You can use the same myGov account you use for services like Medicare.
6. Set up face ID or fingerprint sign-in, if your device supports it.

Tip: the NDIA sends a code by SMS, so check it has your current phone number in your participant portal first.

What the my NDIS App Shows

• Your plan (under the plan icon): your NDIS number, plan start date, plan reassessment date and goals
• Your budget (on the homepage): how much funding is available in each support category
• The NDIS service hub, for participants whose plan is in the NDIA’s new computer system: submit enquiries, upload documents and track enquiries

You don’t need to download a new version or re-register if your plan moves to the new computer system; the app recognises your NDIS number.

Making a Claim in the App (Self-Managed Participants)

If you self-manage, the NDIA says to choose the claims button on the homepage, then “make a claim”. You’ll need to enter:

• The date your support began and ended
• The support category it falls under
• The payment amount
• The provider, business or person’s name, ABN and a description of the support
• Evidence, like an invoice or receipt

Keep records of invoices, receipts, dates and notes about the supports you claim. The NDIA says it may ask for evidence of your claims, and records also help you track what you have spent. The new NDIS laws will also set how long participants must keep records: 3 years. See NDIS funding explained for how budgets work.

The my NDIS App vs the Participant Portals

The NDIA also has two participant portals, which are secure websites you reach through myGov (page current as of 10 August 2026):

You can switch between the two portals once signed in, but you can only claim through one. Your NDIA planner tells you at your plan meeting if your plan is in the new system. See the NDIA’s participant portals guide.

Can the NDIS Fund an App, Tablet or Phone?

This is where many participants get caught out. The NDIA publishes two lists: supports that are NDIS supports, and supports that are not. The not NDIS supports list includes:

• Mobile phones (including smartphones), mobile phone accessories, tablets and SIM cards
• Internet, landline and mobile phone plans and data
• Standard computers and accessories, consoles and games, and subscriptions for streaming services

Communication supports are different. The list of NDIS supports includes products that help a participant communicate, including communication devices, which is why communication aids are usually funded as assistive technology.

Replacement supports: the way to fund a tablet, phone or app

The NDIA says you can apply to replace an NDIS support in your plan with certain other items, called replacement supports (page current as of 19 June 2026). These include:

• Tablet devices
• Smartphones
• Smart watches
• An app for accessibility or communication
• Standard commercially available household items, like a washing machine or dishwasher

A replacement support must replace an NDIS support already in your plan, help you the same or more, be on the NDIA’s replacement supports list, and cost the same or less. You must apply and be approved before you use your NDIS funding to buy it. You can apply using the NDIA’s form, by calling 1800 800 110, or through the service hub, and you don’t need extra assessments or reports. See What is a replacement support.

Communication and other assistive technology

Low-cost assistive technology, mostly items under $1,500, doesn’t need an assessment or quote. Higher-cost items need advice or an assessment, and the most expensive need NDIA approval before purchase. Your speech pathologist or occupational therapist can advise on communication aids. See our NDIS assistive technology guide for the tiers.

Other Apps Participants Use

Beyond the my NDIS app, participants often use apps for communication (augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC), visual schedules and routines, budgeting, medication reminders and accessibility, including the accessibility features built into their phone. We don’t rank or recommend particular products, because what works depends on the person and apps change often. A few tips:

• Ask your therapist. Speech pathologists and occupational therapists can suggest apps that suit your needs, and their advice helps if you apply for funding
• Try free versions first where they exist
• Check accessibility: screen reader support, large text, high contrast and simple layouts
• For mental health apps, ask your GP or mental health professional, and remember apps complement professional care rather than replace it
• Check before you buy with NDIS funds: if the item is on the not NDIS supports list, apply for a replacement support first

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the my NDIS app free?

The my NDIS app is the NDIA’s official app, downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. You need a compatible device and a myGov account.

Can I make claims through the NDIS app?

If you are self-managed, yes: choose the claims button on the homepage, then “make a claim”, and add the support details and evidence.

Why can’t I sign in?

Check your device meets the minimum version (iOS 16.6 or Android 11.0), that you are using your own NDIS number, and that the NDIA has your current phone number for the SMS code. You also need to connect a myGov account. You can call the NDIA on 1800 800 110 for help.

Can a nominee use the app?

Yes. The NDIA says nominees and child representatives sign in with their own NDIS number and personal details, not the participant’s.

Can the NDIS pay for an iPad or tablet?

Tablets are on the NDIA’s list of supports that are not NDIS supports. You can apply to use a tablet as a replacement support for an NDIS support in your plan, if it helps you the same or more and costs the same or less. You must be approved before buying it.

Are communication (AAC) apps covered?

Products that help a participant communicate are on the list of NDIS supports, and an app for accessibility or communication is on the replacement supports list. Talk to your speech pathologist about what suits you and how to request it.

Can I use the NDIS app on a computer?

On a computer, use a participant portal instead: the my NDIS participant portal or the myplace participant portal, through myGov.

How Centre of Hope Can Help

Centre of Hope is a registered NDIS provider in NSW. Through support coordination, we help participants across Western Sydney and NSW:

• Set up and use the my NDIS app and participant portals
• Understand what their budget shows
• Work out whether an item is an NDIS support, and prepare replacement support applications
• Connect with therapists who can advise on communication and assistive technology

Your goals. Your plan. Our support.

📞 Call us: 0432 250 900
🌐 Visit: centreofhope.com.au
📝 Refer: Submit a referral

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not personal advice. It is current as at 25 September 2026, and reflects the NDIA pages How to use the my NDIS app (current as of 20 August 2026), How to use the participant portals (10 August 2026) and What is a replacement support (19 June 2026), and the NDIA lists of supports that are and are not NDIS supports. We don’t recommend particular apps or products. App features and NDIA rules change, so check the app store and ndis.gov.au before you rely on them.