New Delhi
UIDAI rolls out new Aadhaar app with focus on privacy and digital verification
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Wednesday launched a new Aadhaar app, which it plans to merge with the existing mAadhaar app. The new app is aimed at giving users more control over their Aadhaar data while making verification and updates easier, officials said.
The app, launched on UIDAI Day, was inaugurated in New Delhi by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Jitin Prasada, who dedicated the new Aadhaar App to the nation.
The app allows users to share their Aadhaar details digitally and selectively, instead of handing over physical copies of the Aadhaar card. UIDAI said this move is meant to reduce misuse of photocopied Aadhaar cards and strengthen offline verification. The app allows offline Aadhaar verification through a new category of entities called Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSEs). These entities generate a QR code that users can scan using the Aadhaar app to share verified details, without accessing UIDAI’s central database. Around 18 early adopter OVSEs were present at the launch event.
UIDAI officials explained that the goal is to move Aadhaar usage away from physical cards, which are often photocopied and sometimes stored or used improperly. With the app, a user can choose exactly what information to share. For instance, during a hotel check-in, a user can share only their name through the app instead of showing the full Aadhaar card, addressing privacy and security concerns.
However, officials acknowledged a challenge that entities, like hotels, that may not be registered as OVSEs, can simply say it does not have the required technology and instead ask for a photocopy of the Aadhaar card, even though retaining copies of Aadhaar documents is not permitted under the Aadhaar Act.
While registering as an OVSE or downloading the app is not mandatory, UIDAI believes adoption will grow naturally. Officials said the more people download and use the app, the easier it becomes for OVSEs to adopt it, and vice versa.
UIDAI also announced that Aadhaar holders can push their credentials to digital wallets run by Samsung, Google and DigiLocker, which have partnered with the authority. UIDAI said it is now in talks with Apple to enable Aadhaar credential sharing on its wallet as well. Addressing concerns around data storage, a senior UIDAI official said Aadhaar data will be accessible to these companies, but stressed that the system is trust-based. “If you trust Google wallet, or Samsung wallet, you will upload your documents,” said the official, adding that much like users trust Google Password Manager to store their passwords, it is up to individuals to decide whether they trust Google, Samsung or Apple (if Apple is onboarded).
Officials also reiterated that most Aadhaar-related data leaks have not originated from UIDAI’s own systems, but via third-party breaches. “What happens is some operators collects a whole set of Aadhaar numbers because they are verifying somebody… and that data is maintained in an excel sheet somewhere, which leaks,” said MeitY Secretary S Krishnan, calling this a key vulnerability.
Krishnan emphasised the need for data minimisation and stronger privacy protections, especially since Aadhaar is one of the world’s largest digital public infrastructures. He said the app launch is “the first step in a number of movements in both enhancing the security and privacy of individuals,” noting that privacy has been recognised as a fundamental right by the Supreme Court.
Referring to India’s data protection framework, Krishnan said, “One of the issues that we frequently confront within the ambit of the DPDP Act is age verification. I think we are in a position with the Aadhaar Act that there is actually a way that age gating can seamlessly apply without oversharing of data.”
UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar said Aadhaar coverage in India is nearly universal. He said Aadhaar has reached 99.99% of the adult population, 96% of those aged five to 18, and over 50% of children aged below five. Over the last 15 years, 143 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued. He added that around 2.2 crore people are added to India’s population every year, all of whom will need Aadhaar.
The new Aadhaar app also supports common verification needs such as hotel check-ins, age verification for cinema tickets, hospital access, and verification of gig workers using QR codes and optional face verification. Other features include biometric lock and unlock, viewing authentication history, and managing up to five Aadhaar profiles on a single device. Users can also update their address and mobile number through the app, with more update services planned in the future.