{"slug": "ausweisapp", "name": "AusweisApp", "category": "security", "category_name": "Security and passwords", "description": "", "recommenders": 5, "commenters": 6, "warners": 0, "score": 4.56, "rising": -1.64, "first": "2025-11-07", "latest": "2026-05-09", "why": "The AusweisApp is Open Source and available on Windows, Linux and even FreeBSD too.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 5, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "The AusweisApp is Open Source and available on Windows, Linux and even FreeBSD too.", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": "bund.de", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://www.ausweisapp.bund.de", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["AusweisApp"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 769212336, "item_id": 48075771, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48075771", "by": "RandomGerm4n", "date": "2026-05-09", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The AusweisApp is Open Source and available on Windows, Linux and even FreeBSD too.", "excerpt": "The AusweisApp is Open Source and available on Windows, Linux and even FreeBSD too. You just need some NFC Scanner that works via USB and then you can use it without a mobile device. https://www.ausweisapp.bund.de/open-source-software", "context": "", "use_case": "German eID identification", "switched_from": "", "story": "Google Broke reCAPTCHA for De-Googled Android Users"}, {"id": 762370960, "item_id": 47648185, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47648185", "by": "haagch", "date": "2026-04-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "it runs out of the box", "excerpt": "It's an NFC card that can be read with any NFC card reader, USB or smartphone based. https://www.ausweisapp.bund.de/en/open-source I just saw that it's available in alpine. So I tried installing it on my postmarketOS smartphone and it runs out of the box: https://i.imgur.com/nRIAyrq.png My Shift6mq is listed has not having NFC support in postmarketOS, so I can't actually test it, but I assume the USB card reader opti", "context": "", "use_case": "eID card reader", "switched_from": "", "story": "German implementation of eIDAS will require an Apple/Google account to function"}, {"id": 762328208, "item_id": 47645513, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47645513", "by": "ResearchAtPlay", "date": "2026-04-04", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "A partial solution already exists because I can use my electronic ID card with the AusweisApp", "excerpt": "Do you happen to know if German citizens can obtain a certificate to sign PDFs (from the government / for free)? Several paid providers for X.509 certificates exist but document signing certificates cost around 80 \u20ac per year [0]. And if I want duplicate X.509 certificates for my redundant Yubikeys then the cost doubles. Other providers require an initial deposit and then charge per signature [1], which leads to intra", "context": "", "use_case": "eID login and identity proof", "switched_from": "", "story": "German implementation of eIDAS will require an Apple/Google account to function"}, {"id": 733588416, "item_id": 45849276, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45849276", "by": "Semaphor", "date": "2025-11-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Works with ungoogled android unless something changed.", "excerpt": "Should all be open, but I don't know for sure. Works with ungoogled android unless something changed. https://github.com/Governikus/AusweisApp", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Denmark's government aims to ban access to social media for children under 15"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["german eid identification", "eid card reader", "eid login and identity proof"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48067119", "title": "Google Broke reCAPTCHA for De-Googled Android Users", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47644406", "title": "German implementation of eIDAS will require an Apple/Google account to function", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46982421", "title": "Discord/Twitch/Snapchat age verification bypass", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45848083", "title": "Denmark's government aims to ban access to social media for children under 15", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 769242672, "item_id": 48077667, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48077667", "by": "zyx321", "date": "2026-05-09", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "The app[1] on the user's device[2] forwards that request to the chip on the user's ID card.", "excerpt": "OR: The website sends a request for age verification. The app[1] on the user's device[2] forwards that request to the chip on the user's ID card. The user authorizes themselves with their 6 digit PIN stored on the card. The chip produces a signed reply containing the following payload fields: `issuing_country:string` and `over_18:bool` [1] https://github.com/Governikus/AusweisApp [2] iPhone, Android, Windows, MacOS, ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Google Broke reCAPTCHA for De-Googled Android Users"}, {"id": 769212336, "item_id": 48075771, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48075771", "by": "RandomGerm4n", "date": "2026-05-09", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The AusweisApp is Open Source and available on Windows, Linux and even FreeBSD too.", "excerpt": "The AusweisApp is Open Source and available on Windows, Linux and even FreeBSD too. You just need some NFC Scanner that works via USB and then you can use it without a mobile device. https://www.ausweisapp.bund.de/open-source-software", "context": "", "use_case": "German eID identification", "switched_from": "", "story": "Google Broke reCAPTCHA for De-Googled Android Users"}, {"id": 762370960, "item_id": 47648185, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47648185", "by": "haagch", "date": "2026-04-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "it runs out of the box", "excerpt": "It's an NFC card that can be read with any NFC card reader, USB or smartphone based. https://www.ausweisapp.bund.de/en/open-source I just saw that it's available in alpine. So I tried installing it on my postmarketOS smartphone and it runs out of the box: https://i.imgur.com/nRIAyrq.png My Shift6mq is listed has not having NFC support in postmarketOS, so I can't actually test it, but I assume the USB card reader opti", "context": "", "use_case": "eID card reader", "switched_from": "", "story": "German implementation of eIDAS will require an Apple/Google account to function"}, {"id": 762328208, "item_id": 47645513, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47645513", "by": "ResearchAtPlay", "date": "2026-04-04", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "A partial solution already exists because I can use my electronic ID card with the AusweisApp", "excerpt": "Do you happen to know if German citizens can obtain a certificate to sign PDFs (from the government / for free)? Several paid providers for X.509 certificates exist but document signing certificates cost around 80 \u20ac per year [0]. And if I want duplicate X.509 certificates for my redundant Yubikeys then the cost doubles. Other providers require an initial deposit and then charge per signature [1], which leads to intra", "context": "", "use_case": "eID login and identity proof", "switched_from": "", "story": "German implementation of eIDAS will require an Apple/Google account to function"}, {"id": 751768080, "item_id": 46985505, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46985505", "by": "fcatalan", "date": "2026-02-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "", "excerpt": "Spanish ID cards have had an X. 509 cert inside them for more than 10 years, I use it all the time to sign documents and access government sites. There is already legislation and a push for an EU-wide digital identity wallet that should be up and running this year, look up eidas 2.0 and the EUDI wallet. That looks like it should make things like privacy compatible age verification \"trivial\".", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Discord/Twitch/Snapchat age verification bypass"}, {"id": 733588416, "item_id": 45849276, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45849276", "by": "Semaphor", "date": "2025-11-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Works with ungoogled android unless something changed.", "excerpt": "Should all be open, but I don't know for sure. Works with ungoogled android unless something changed. https://github.com/Governikus/AusweisApp", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Denmark's government aims to ban access to social media for children under 15"}]}