A new app to help adults in remote communities engage online has been launched.  

The Your Online Journey app is aimed at adults who are looking to build their confidence in interacting online. It has been designed for mobile and tablet devices, and once downloaded people can use it even when internet coverage is not available in their area.

The app shows users how to stay safe on the web, spot scams, deal with cyber bullying and get the most out of the online experience.

The app takes people through a range of step-by-step lessons in a modular format. Users can set their own pace by skipping forward and also going back within the app to review parts of the lessons. It can be used offline, once it has been downloaded to a device. It is a free public resource that can be downloaded by anybody and it is suitable for individuals or small training groups.

The app was developed as a joint project between the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.

Indigenous Affairs Minister, Nigel Scullion said the that being online would help people living in Indigenous communities with their day-to-day activities such as remaining connected to friends and family, doing their banking and finding employment.

‘We live in a digital world where so much of our everyday activities are online or use technology in one form or another,” Minister Scullion said.

E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said residents of remote communities had helped develop the app by contributing their ideas.

‘We have worked closely with the Indigenous communities of Kooniba, Yatala and Hay in developing this app as a fantastic tool to meet the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians,’ she said.

The Your Online Journey app and further details and information on how to download it is available on Indigenous.gov.au and esafety.gov.au websites.