How to try UIDAI’s new Aadhaar app: A step-by-step guide to face unlock, QR sharing and more

Updated on 12-Nov-2025
HIGHLIGHTS

UIDAI launches new Aadhaar app with face unlock, QR sharing, and multi-profile support.

App enhances privacy by masking Aadhaar numbers and enabling offline verification.

Missing features like Virtual ID and PVC card order expected in future updates.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a new Aadhaar app for Android and iPhone users with enhanced security features. The new app aims to make the process of digital identity management easier while ensuring data privacy is improved. Key highlights include face unlock authentication, sharing of data through QR, and the handling of multiple profiles. All these features enable verification or sharing of one’s identity without exposing their full Aadhaar number. The app will prevent data misuse and unauthorised accessibility. By integrating advanced privacy control, UIDAI aspires to make Aadhaar management quicker, safer, and more reliable for all citizens across India.

From checking in at the airport to verification at banks, Aadhaar has become an indispensable part of the daily lives of millions of Indians. However, carrying physical cards has been a hassle, and people have also expressed apprehension about data privacy. The new Aadhaar app tries to overcome these challenges by introducing a quicker, more secure, and fully paperless identity management solution.

How to download and set up the new Aadhaar app

Downloading and setting up the app is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide to do it.

  1. Download the Aadhaar app from Google Play or the App Store.
  2. Open and select your preferred language.
  3. Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number (UID).
  4. The app will send a One-Time Password (OTP) to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar.
  5. Enter the OTP to verify your identity.
  6. After verification, you can authenticate using face recognition or biometrics.
  7. Create a secure 6-digit PIN to lock the app for future access. Please note that this is your primary lock.
  8. Once added, your Aadhaar profile will be securely stored in the app.

You can now view your Aadhaar details, share your QR code, lock/unlock biometrics, or generate verifiable credentials.

Note: Some of these features in the new Aadhar app can even be accessed offline.

The app also allows you to manage up to five Aadhaar profiles on one device. However, all the Aadhaar numbers should be linked to the same registered mobile number. Moreover, ensure that your Aadhaar card has the correct mobile number linked before setting up the new Aadhaar app. If not, update it through the nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendra or official UIDAI website.

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Key features of the new Aadhaar app

Here are some of the key features of the all-new Aadhar app:

  • Face unlock and biometric security: The new app provides options for face unlock and biometric lock/unlock. This will make your personal information secure in case your phone is lost or used by someone else.
  • QR-based and masked sharing: Share your Aadhaar details through a QR code or verifiable credentials. Your full 12-digit Aadhaar number will remain masked at all times during verification, which keeps your identity details more secure.
  • Multi-profile management: The application allows you to store up to five Aadhaar profiles on one device, provided all are linked to the same registered mobile number. It is good for families who intend to manage the Aadhaar details of their children, parents, or spouses on one phone.
  • Offline capability: The application can be accessed even in the absence of internet connectivity for major features such as QR-based verification. This helps people in areas with weak or no internet connectivity.
  • Improved user interface: The UIDAI has made the app more user-friendly with its clean design, faster loading, and easy navigation that suits the tech-savvy as well as new users.

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New Aadhar app limitations

The new Aadhaar app currently lacks a number of key features, reducing its usefulness and convenience for the users. Options like downloading the digital Aadhaar PDF, ordering PVC cards, verification of registered mobile numbers or email IDs, and generation of Virtual ID, among others, are all missing, which the existing mAadhaar app already has. All these functions have to come to provide full-fledged Aadhaar services, and it is expected that UIDAI will include them in due course of time so that one can get all Aadhaar facilities at one stop.

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Many people, especially in rural and remote areas, still don’t own smartphones or have stable internet access. Using a mobile app for Aadhaar services is hardly feasible for them, limiting the app’s reach and impact. Another possible drawback is the dependence on linked mobile numbers. To add multiple profiles, all must be associated with the same registered number. This could be inconvenient for households where members use different phone numbers and want to handle all the Aadhar profiles on a single device.

However, the good thing is that UIDAI has clarified that the physical Aadhaar card remains valid and that the new app is an additional tool for convenience, not a replacement.

Bhaskar Sharma

Bhaskar is a senior copy editor at Digit India, where he simplifies complex tech topics across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and emerging consumer tech. His work has appeared in iGeeksBlog, GuidingTech, and other publications, and he previously served as an assistant editor at TechBloat and TechReloaded. A B.Tech graduate and full-time tech writer, he is known for clear, practical guides and explainers.

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