EPFO's portal upgrade removes UAN activation from the website. New members must use the UMANG app with Aadhaar facial authentication. Here's what changed and how to navigate the new process.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation restored its Unified Member Portal after a week-long upgrade. The redesigned interface comes with a change that affects every new member: UAN activation no longer happens on the website.
Members can no longer activate their Universal Account Number or generate a new one from the portal. Both functions now require the government's UMANG app and Aadhaar-based Face Authentication, according to EPFO. The move follows a database consolidation and software modernisation that the organisation says will make online services faster and more secure.
For subscribers who already have an active UAN, the day-to-day experience of checking balances or filing claims remains largely unchanged. The friction point is for new members and those who need a fresh UAN.
To activate a UAN, subscribers must download the UMANG app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Inside the app, they select "UAN Activation" under "UAN Services Through Face Auth." The system then runs Aadhaar Face Authentication and guides the user through the remaining steps.
Employees who already have an EPF account but no UAN can still get one. They need to verify their registered mobile number and complete the verification process. Once done, a UAN is generated and linked to their existing account.
For those who have forgotten their UAN, the upgraded portal now offers a simpler retrieval process. After verification, the UAN can be recovered.
EPFO has kept the online facility for filing death claims on its Unified Member Portal. Documents must be in PDF format, each file under 2 MB. The organisation has said that file names should not contain spaces.
The portal upgrade is part of a broader software modernisation exercise. For existing subscribers with an active UAN, the process stays the same. For new members, the added step of downloading the UMANG app and completing a biometric check means a steeper onboarding process.
EPFO has warned that claims and online requests may take slightly longer than usual during the initial two-week stabilisation period. Additional verification and validation checks are being carried out. The organisation advises against repeated submissions and multiple login attempts during peak hours.
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