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Every time you hand a photocopy of your Aadhaar card to a hotel desk, a SIM shop or a housing society, you’re giving away your full name, address, date of birth and Aadhaar number to someone who may keep it in a drawer for years. UIDAI’s new Aadhaar app is designed to end that habit.
It replaces the old mAadhaar app, lets you share only the details someone actually needs, and adds a one-tap lock for your fingerprints and iris data. Here’s how to set it up and the features worth using first.
What the New Aadhaar App Is, and What Happens to mAadhaar
The Aadhaar app is UIDAI’s official app for managing and sharing your Aadhaar. It was launched on January 28, 2026, and UIDAI is gradually phasing out the older mAadhaar app. mAadhaar still works for some users for now, but the new app is becoming the main way to use Aadhaar on your phone, so it’s worth switching before the old one stops.
The new app can do things mAadhaar couldn’t:
- Face authentication instead of OTPs for many tasks
- Selective Share, so you show only the details someone needs
- QR-based sharing and offline verification
- One-tap lock and unlock for your biometrics
- Up to five profiles in one app for your family
- Updating your mobile number and address from your phone
- 13 languages, including Hindi, Bengali and Tamil
Before You Start
Check three things first:
- Your phone runs Android 9 or later, or iOS 16 or later.
- The SIM with your Aadhaar-registered mobile number is in the phone. Setup links the app to that SIM.
- You’re in India. UIDAI says the app can’t be used outside the country.
On Android, also turn off Developer options if you’ve ever switched them on. The app won’t run while developer mode is enabled.
How to Set Up the New Aadhaar App
- Download the Aadhaar app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Before you tap install, check that the developer is listed as UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India). Fake look-alike apps are a common trick.
- Open the app and pick your language.
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and accept the terms and privacy policy.
- Choose the SIM to link the app to.
- Complete face authentication by looking into the front camera. You’ll need to allow camera access.
- Set a 6-digit PIN. You’ll use it to open the app.
That’s it. Your Aadhaar is now on your phone, protected by the PIN and tied to your SIM.
If the mobile number on your Aadhaar is old or wrong, fix that first. You can’t register a number on Aadhaar for the first time through the app. For that, or if you can no longer receive OTPs on your old number, visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or enrolment centre.
Selective Share: Give Only What’s Needed
This is the feature that makes photocopies unnecessary.
When a hotel, landlord, event organiser or shop needs to check who you are, you don’t have to hand over everything. With Selective Share, you choose which details to share, such as just your name and photo, or confirmation that you’re over 18, and with whom. Your Aadhaar number, address and full date of birth stay private unless you choose to share them.
The sharing happens with your consent, through the app, and the details come straight from UIDAI’s records, so the other side knows they’re genuine.
QR Sharing Instead of Photocopies
Organisations that check your identity this way are called Offline Verification Seeking Entities. They scan a QR code from your app, or you share your verified details with them directly, with your consent. They get confirmed information without ever holding a copy of your card.
The QR codes on your Aadhaar PVC card and e-Aadhaar PDF still work too. They can be scanned with the Aadhaar app or UIDAI’s QR scanner.
The Rule Against Photocopies
UIDAI wants this to become the norm. In December 2025, it approved a rule requiring hotels, event organisers and similar businesses to register with UIDAI before verifying customers’ Aadhaar. The aim is to stop them collecting and storing photocopies, which UIDAI says goes against the Aadhaar Act. UIDAI said the rule would be notified soon. Until it’s fully in force, some places will still ask for a photocopy out of habit. You can offer the app instead, and if you must hand over a copy, write the purpose and date across it.
Lock Your Biometrics
The app has a one-tap lock for your Aadhaar biometrics: your fingerprints, iris scans and face.
While the lock is on, nobody can use your biometrics to authenticate as you. That protects you against fraud where criminals use copied fingerprints to withdraw money through Aadhaar-based banking at kiosks and micro-ATMs.
The catch is that you’ll need to unlock it yourself before any legitimate fingerprint check, such as a ration shop, a bank kiosk or some SIM verifications. It only takes a moment in the app. If you rarely use fingerprint authentication, keeping biometrics locked by default is a sensible choice.
Add Your Family (Up to Five Profiles)
You can keep up to five Aadhaar profiles in one app, which is handy for parents managing children’s or older relatives’ Aadhaar. A child can be added using the guardian’s face authentication.
Address updates can also be made through a family member listed as Head of Family. That person must approve the request in their own app.
Update Your Mobile Number and Address From Your Phone
You no longer need to visit a centre for two of the most common changes.
- Address update: upload a supporting document as a JPG, PNG or PDF, enter your new address, check the preview in English and your local language, complete face authentication and pay ₹75. You’ll get an SRN to track the request.
- Mobile number update: verify your new number with an OTP, complete face authentication and pay the charge shown in the app. If the app is registered on a different number from the one on your Aadhaar, you’ll need OTPs on both the old and new numbers.
Both updates can take up to 30 days to show up.
Check Who Has Used Your Aadhaar
The app lets you see your authentication history, a record of when and where your Aadhaar was used to verify your identity. Look through it every few months. If you see an authentication you don’t recognise, lock your biometrics straight away and contact UIDAI on 1947.
Quick Answers
Is mAadhaar being discontinued?
Yes. UIDAI is gradually phasing out mAadhaar in favour of the new Aadhaar app, which launched on January 28, 2026. mAadhaar still works for some users for now, but you should switch.
How do I set up the new Aadhaar app?
Download the Aadhaar app by UIDAI from the Play Store or App Store, enter your Aadhaar number, choose your registered SIM, complete face authentication and set a 6-digit PIN.
Can I use the Aadhaar app instead of a photocopy?
Yes, wherever the business supports it. You can share your verified details or a QR code with your consent. UIDAI has also approved a rule to stop hotels and similar businesses storing photocopies, which it said would be notified soon.
What is Selective Share in the Aadhaar app?
It lets you choose which details to share, such as only your name and photo or proof that you’re over 18, instead of handing over your full Aadhaar.
How do I lock my Aadhaar biometrics?
Open the Aadhaar app and use the biometric lock option. While it’s on, nobody can authenticate with your fingerprints, iris or face. Unlock it when you need a genuine biometric check.
Why won’t the Aadhaar app open on my phone?
Common reasons are an outdated phone (it needs Android 9 or iOS 16 or later), Developer options switched on, or being outside India. The app also needs the SIM it was registered with.
Bottom Line
The new Aadhaar app is the simplest way to stop your Aadhaar photocopy from sitting in strangers’ files. Set it up with your registered SIM, lock your biometrics unless you use them often, and use Selective Share instead of handing over a copy wherever you can. Download it only from the official app stores and check that the developer is UIDAI.
