Japan’s Android My Number Card Still Starts with the Physical Card

An Android phone may be able to prove that its owner is old enough for a service without turning over a physical identity card. That sounds like one simple switch from plastic to screen. Japan’s rollout shows that it is really a chain of separate checks: the phone must support the right function, the user must already have a valid My Number Card, and the organisation at the other end must be able to read the mobile credential.

The first of those questions became much more concrete on 19 October 2026. Japan’s Digital Agency published its Android compatibility list before the scheduled launch of “My Number Card on Android” on 20 October. Same-day reporting by Weekly ASCII found that full support for the new attribute function is narrower than support for the electronic-certificate functions already available on Android.

That difference is the real story. “Compatible” does not always mean compatible with every My Number feature.

Two Functions Sit Behind One Name

Android users have been able to put My Number electronic certificates on supported phones since 2023. Those certificates can be used for tasks such as signing into MynaPortal, submitting online applications and obtaining certain official certificates.

The Digital Agency’s launch announcement adds a different layer from 20 October 2026: an attribute-proof function in Google Wallet. At participating public and private services, it can support in-person checks of identity, age and residence. The credential can carry the core details associated with the card, including the holder’s facial photograph.

The distinction matters when checking a handset. A model may support the older electronic-certificate function but not the new attribute function. Even closely related models, carrier versions or phones sold for another market may not have the same support. The useful question is therefore not simply, “Does this phone work with My Number?” It is, “Does this exact device support the function I need?”

That is why the official list should be checked by exact model rather than by brand alone. A familiar product name is not enough evidence that the security hardware, operating system and Japanese-market configuration meet the service requirements.

A Supported Phone is Only the First Gate

The second gate is the place where the credential will be presented. A shop, bank, public counter or other service needs compatible reading software before it can accept the Android credential. The launch does not make every identity check mobile on the same date.

The Digital Agency’s standing smartphone guidance tells users to check each service’s instructions because availability differs by device and location. It also advises carrying the physical My Number Card in case a service accepts only the card itself. The same guidance says the smartphone version cannot be used as a Myna driver’s licence.

This produces a practical rule: separate technical capability from legal or operational acceptance. A phone can be capable of presenting an attribute while a particular counter is not yet equipped to receive it. Conversely, a service may advertise mobile identity support while a user’s specific handset supports only the older certificate functions.

Neither result makes the underlying identity invalid. It means the channel is not available for that particular combination of device and service.

The Phone Does Not Create a New Identity Record

Adding the mobile credential also starts with the existing physical card. The Digital Agency says users need a compatible phone, the latest MynaApp, their physical My Number Card, a four-digit PIN and a six-to-sixteen-character signing password.

The photograph is part of that underlying identity record; the Android setup is not a new portrait session. Someone obtaining a physical My Number Card still has to follow the separate application route. Japan’s official photo requirements for the physical card call for an image taken within the preceding six months, from the front, without a hat and against a plain background. Online applications accept a JPEG within stated file and pixel limits, while heavily edited images may be rejected.

That separation prevents two common mistakes. A good selfie taken while setting up a phone does not replace the approved photograph on the physical card. And adding the card to a phone does not fix an expired card, forgotten credentials or incorrect details in the source record.

When the physical card or its electronic certificate is renewed, the smartphone credential must be set up again. If the PIN and signing password are both forgotten, the Digital Agency directs the holder to the municipality where their resident record is registered.

Four Checks Before Depending on the Phone

Anyone planning to use the Android credential can reduce uncertainty with four checks.

First, confirm the exact phone model on the current official list and verify that the attribute function—not only the electronic certificate—is supported. Second, update the operating system, security patches and MynaApp as instructed. Third, make sure the physical card, PIN and signing password are available before beginning setup. Fourth, check whether the specific organisation or counter accepts the smartphone credential for the intended transaction.

Carrying the physical card remains the sensible fallback until the receiving service confirms otherwise. That is not a failure of digital identity. It is a recognition that identity systems have two ends: one that presents trusted information and one that agrees to accept it.

Japan’s 20 October launch expands what an Android phone can prove in person. The compatibility list published a day earlier also makes the boundary visible. A mobile credential can be convenient, selective and secure, but it still depends on a valid source document, supported hardware and a prepared recipient. The screen changes how identity is presented; it does not erase the identity chain behind it.