Did you know that you could lock and probably unlock your Aadhaar number permanently? If you’re curious to know how, read on…
Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number and is one of the most accepted proofs of identification in India. It is widely accepted in both the Government and private sectors. Even though it is not mandatory, Aadhaar still is preferred by financial institutions and banks. The reason of its widespread acceptance lies partially in its unique characteristics of capturing biometric data. Fingerprints and Iris images are biometric data along with demographic information like name, date of birth and address related to your Aadhaar number. The combination of biometric and demographic information makes Aadhaar a unique identification instrument.
When you share your Aadhaar information as your identity proof, some agencies might get access to your biometrics. Hence, to avoid possible misuse and mishandling of your Aadhaar data, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has come up with the facility of locking your Aadhaar biometrics online. Privacy and security of your personal data is of primary focus and you can control viewing of your Aadhaar information. More specifically, your biometric data by other parties by locking and unlocking your 12-digit Aadhaar number online.
You can carry out locking and unlocking of your Aadhaar biometrics by downloading mAadhaar App in your mobile which is registered with UIDAI. You can do the same by going to the website: resident.uidai.gov.in . Once your Aadhaar number is locked in the UID portal, you cannot carry out any type of authentication like demographic, biometric or authentication based on OTP by using UID or similar method. In such cases, you can authenticate any agency or party concerned to access your Aadhaar data by using the 16-digit VID (Virtual ID) Number. By using VID, you can authenticate the agency to access all forms of your Aadhaar data like demographic, biometric and OTP.
However, you can unlock the UID by going to the resident portal or from mAadhaar App in your mobile. Unlocking will enable you to authenticate using UID and related methods. VID still remains a viable option for you to authenticate personal Aadhaar data.
Now, let’s dive deeper and understand the pros and cons of Aadhaar Biometric Lock
Aadhaar has become a vital identity tool, but with increasing reliance on personal data, securing it is crucial. The Aadhaar Biometric Lock offers enhanced protection by preventing unauthorized access to your biometric information.
If you need to access Aadhaar data more frequently, then locking it could be a problem since each time, it will need to follow the procedure of unlocking. Keeping the Aadhaar biometrics unlocked permanently will be more user-friendly, even though safety of your Aadhaar data might get compromised. The process of unlocking the biometrics permanently could be accomplished if you ‘Disable’ the lock. This process can be completed through:
UIDAI website
mAadhaar application
Enrolment Centres
Visit the official UIDAI website’s Biometric Lock/Unlock page:
https://resident.uidai.gov.in/biometric-lock
Enter your Aadhaar number and the security code.
Click “Send OTP” and enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number.
After logging in, select “Disable Biometric Locking” to permanently unlock your biometrics.
Confirm the request — your biometrics will stay unlocked until you manually lock them again.
Download the official mAadhaar app from UIDAI’s page:
https://uidai.gov.in/en/394-developer-section/maadhaarapp.html
Open the app and log in using your registered mobile number and PIN.
Go to “Biometric Settings” or “Aadhaar Services.”
Choose the option to disable the biometric lock.
Enter the OTP when prompted, and your biometrics will be unlocked.
Locate your nearest Aadhaar Seva Kendra using UIDAI’s official locator:
https://appointments.uidai.gov.in/easearch.aspx
Visit the centre with your Aadhaar number and valid ID.
Request the operator to disable your biometric lock.
They will authenticate you and process the permanent unlock.
For performing e-KYC, Virtual ID (VID) could be used instead of unlocking the biometrics. VID is a 16-digit number, which is temporary and revocable, and it is mapped with your Aadhaar number. The way of authentication using VID is like using your Aadhaar number. But your Aadhaar number cannot be derived from the VID. You can generate VID once in every calendar day. This being temporary, storing your VID by agencies does not make sense since you can change it immediately after you share the VID with them for certain authentication purposes. Once you generate a new VID, the previous one will get void.
Being a holder of Aadhaar number, you can generate, retrieve and replace your VID. There are various ways to do these. You can go to UIDAI’s Resident portal, mAadhaar mobile App, Aadhaar enrollment centres, and e-Aadhaar download. VID can also be sent to your registered mobile via SMS. For SMS, you must send SMS: ‘GVID followed by the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar number’ to 1947 from your registered mobile.
Your Aadhaar biometrics remain unlocked only for a short duration (10 minutes) when you use the temporary unlock option on the myAadhaar website or mAadhaar app. After this brief window, the system automatically relocks your biometrics for security.
To use your biometrics for authentication (banking, SIM, eKYC, etc.), you must unlock them just before the transaction, or permanently disable the lock if you want continuous access.
You need to remember certain points while locking, unlocking or disabling your Aadhaar biometrics.
For the process of locking/ unlocking of biometrics, the OTP will be sent only to your mobile number which you have registered with Aadhaar. Hence, a registered mobile number is mandatory for this feature
In case your mobile number is not yet registered with Aadhaar, you can visit your nearest Aadhaar Enrolment center or mobile update facility
You cannot avail the service, if your mobile number is not linked with Aadhaar
You do not need to pay any fee for locking, unlocking or disabling the biometrics
Once the biometrics are locked, if you want to try UID for authentication purposes by using biometric parameters like fingerprint or retinal matching, you will get a specific error code of ‘330’. This error code indicates that your biometrics are locked
Finally, you should understand the importance of Aadhaar biometrics and the importance of keeping the data protected. If unlocking the Aadhaar biometrics is needed for certain period of time, always keep in mind that it is better idea to keep the data locked once the need is over.
Unlocking your Aadhaar biometrics is necessary when you need to complete authentication such as bank verification, SIM issuance, or eKYC. Without unlocking, your fingerprints/iris cannot be used for verification.
If you use the temporary unlock option, your biometrics stay unlocked only for 10 minutes before automatically re-locking. Permanent unlock remains active until you manually lock it again.
You can choose to disable the biometric lock permanently via the UIDAI portal, mAadhaar app, or an Aadhaar centre. This keeps your biometrics open for all authentication until you decide to re-lock them.
Visit any Aadhaar Enrolment/Update Centre, provide your Aadhaar number, verify your identity, and request biometric update. Your new fingerprints/iris will be captured and updated in the UIDAI database.
It is generally secure, but keeping biometrics unlocked increases risk if someone misuses them. Locking adds an extra protection layer, so keep it unlocked only when needed or if you frequently authenticate.
Yes, you can unlock your biometrics anytime using the UIDAI portal, mAadhaar app, or by visiting an Aadhaar centre. An OTP sent to your registered mobile number is required for online unlocking.
Unlocking allows smooth completion of services requiring biometric authentication—like bank KYC, SIM activation, subsidies, and government scheme verification. It ensures faster identity validation when needed.
