Apps for new parents in Singapore: what to set up first

The apps for new parents in Singapore that you'll open most are the government ones, and they work best set up in order. Singpass comes first, since LifeSG and HealthHub both log you in with it. LifeSG then registers the birth and handles Baby Bonus, while HealthHub keeps your baby's health records and polyclinic bookings in one place. Trackers and photo apps are extras you can add whenever you like.

Set up these apps first, step by step

1. Install the Singpass app on both parents' phones. GovTech's Singpass listing says it opens over 1,400 services, and ICA says citizens, PRs and FIN holders must use it to register a birth online.
2. Download LifeSG and register the birth within 42 days; LifeSG puts the fee at S$18 for a digital birth certificate. One parent starts the form and the other confirms it, and our birth registration guide has the full steps.
3. Apply for Baby Bonus in the same LifeSG form, if your child is eligible. You'll pick POSB/DBS, OCBC or UOB for the Child Development Account (CDA), and you can add an NLB library membership, which LifeSG says is free for Singaporeans.
4. Download the birth certificate when ICA tells you it's done. ICA says it's available for download within 90 days once registered, and asks you to save it to your own device.
5. Open the CDA in your bank's app once LifeSG's instructions reach your email and LifeSG inbox. To see what your child can get, try the Baby Bonus calculator.
6. Install HealthHub and add your baby under Dependents (Children) with the birth certificate number. HealthHub shows past and upcoming vaccinations, and you can log growth and tick off milestones.
7. Book polyclinic visits in HealthHub. Ask.gov.sg lists HealthHub as the booking app for all clusters, and the cluster apps are moving into it.
8. Add MyICA Mobile when you're ready for the baby's passport, and read our baby passport guide first. ICA waives the first passport fee for a newborn citizen if you apply via the MyICA portal on or before the first birthday.
9. Add NLB Mobile for e-books and audiobooks. Its listing says you can manage your family's library accounts in it too, and our guide to NLB libraries for kids covers borrowing.

Which app does what

Here's the government set in one place, with the job each app does for a new parent.

One change is coming. LifeSG says the SG Child Support Package from the 2026 National Day Rally will replace the Baby Bonus Scheme, and children already enrolled move across automatically. For now, Baby Bonus is still part of the LifeSG birth registration. Our after-birth admin checklist puts every form in order, so this page sticks to the apps.

HealthHub: your baby's records and polyclinic bookings

HealthHub's Children's Health section works alongside the physical Child Health Booklet, so keep both. Once your child is added, both parents can view and edit the entries, and HealthHub says it keeps them permanently. The web portal is view-only, so enter growth and milestones in the app. HealthHub also suggests showing those entries to the doctor or nurse at check-ups, as it helps their assessment.

For bookings, HealthHub's polyclinic list includes Child Vaccination (age 6 months to 17 years), a Lactation Support Service and Newborn Jaundice Screening, though services vary by polyclinic. The app listing says you can pre-register 30 to 90 minutes before an appointment to get a queue number.

The cluster apps are folding into HealthHub. SingHealth says Health Buddy will stop in Feb 2027, and NUHS says its app will move to HealthHub progressively from November 2026. NHG's app, now listed as the NHG Health App, still manages NHG appointments. If you're starting fresh, HealthHub alone books at all of them.

HealthHub's Parent Hub is the reading side, with articles that run from pregnancy all the way to the teen years. Our vaccination schedule lists the jabs by age, and our guides to child health screening and baby milestones month by month cover the checks and the stages.

If a parent isn't a citizen, or your baby was born overseas

LifeSG still works, with a few limits. If one parent isn't a citizen, PR or FIN holder, the parent who is logs in with Singpass and starts the registration. If neither of you is, either parent can start it with an email address on the LifeSG website, which is the only route for that case.

ICA gives a baby who isn't a citizen at birth a Special Pass valid for 42 days. Before day 42, sort out a visit pass or dependant pass so your baby can stay on. In HealthHub, a PR or newly naturalised child can only be added by the sponsoring parent.

Singapore doesn't register births that happen overseas, so you register with the authorities where your baby was born. If you skipped Baby Bonus at registration, or your child is adopted or a new citizen, LifeSG says to apply through its Baby Bonus service instead.

Trackers, photo albums and no-install options

Private apps are optional. Pick one for a single job, and check its store listing says it does that job today.

• For feeds, nappies and sleep, a tracker app logs it all with a tap. Huckleberry's Singapore App Store listing, for example, covers sleep, nappy changes, feeds and pumping, and it syncs across caregivers' phones. The download is free and the extra plans are paid.
• For baby photos, a private family album keeps them off social media. FamilyAlbum's listing describes an album you invite relatives into and says there's no public feed; the app is free, with in-app purchases.
• You may already have one. iPhone Shared Albums let you invite and approve each person, and Google Photos can share an album with chosen contacts.
• For no download at all, open our free newborn feed and nappy log or milestone tracker in your browser, and check naps against the baby sleep schedule by age. Still pregnant? Try the kick counter and contraction timer.

These apps are tools for the adults in the house. When your child starts using screens, our guide to managing screen time picks up from there.

Before you upload your baby's photos or health data

Run these checks before you install a new app or share a photo.

• Check the developer's name on the store page. LifeSG and Singpass list the Government Technology Agency, HealthHub lists Synapxe, MyICA Mobile lists ICA, and NLB Mobile lists the National Library Board.
• Read the privacy section of the listing. On the App Store those details come from the developer and Apple says it hasn't verified them, while Google Play's Data safety section says the developer provided it and may update it.
• Ask what's collected and why. The PDPC says organisations must tell you what personal data they collect and why and seek your consent, so ask them when a listing leaves it unclear.
• Invite people to an album one by one. Google says anyone with a link to your photos can view them.
• Decide what goes public before you post. PDPC says that once information is public, it may be hard to manage how it's used.
• Log in with Singpass only on official pages. GovTech says Singpass passkeys only work on official Singpass logins, and PDPC says real organisations never ask you to verify your identity by email or text.

If something goes wrong

• Payment fails on the LifeSG app: ICA says to refresh and try again, then email the address on its birth registration page if it still fails.
• No notice after 3 working days: ICA says it usually processes a registration at once, and cases that need checks can take up to 3 working days, so email ICA if you've waited longer than that.
• A mistake on the registration: email ICA, and it says it will follow up with you.
• Other LifeSG problems: the LifeSG listing gives helpdesk@life.gov.sg.
• Singpass log-in trouble: the Singpass FAQ is at go.gov.sg/singpass-faq.

Frequently asked questions

Which government apps do parents in Singapore need?

Start with Singpass, LifeSG and HealthHub. Singpass logs you in. LifeSG registers the birth and handles Baby Bonus, and HealthHub keeps your baby's health records and polyclinic bookings. Add MyICA Mobile for the passport and NLB Mobile for library books when you need them.

What are the most useful apps for new mums in Singapore?

The same three come first, since they hold the paperwork and the health records. HealthHub can also book polyclinic services such as Lactation Support and Newborn Jaundice Screening, where your polyclinic offers them. For feed and nappy logging, a tracker app or our free feed and nappy log does the job.

Is there a baby tracker app from the government?

HealthHub's Children's Health section is the closest. It shows vaccinations from the National Immunisation Registry, and you can log growth and tick off developmental milestones. Both parents can see and edit the same record. For feeds and sleep, use a private tracker or a browser tool.

Is there a good baby milestone photos app?

For a photo timeline, a private shared album works well. FamilyAlbum's listing says it sorts photos and videos by date, and iPhone Shared Albums and Google Photos do the sharing part. To track the milestones themselves, use HealthHub or our baby milestone tracker.

Do I need the LifeSG app to register my baby's birth?

You can use the LifeSG app or the LifeSG website. If neither parent is a citizen, PR or FIN holder, it has to be the website, started with an email address. Either way, register within 42 days and pay S$18.