Back to Markets
Stocks● Neutral
mAadhaar App Discontinued: UIDAI Pushes New App Before Deadline
The Aadhaar App has been downloaded over 31 million times since February. Users who haven't switched lost access to digital Aadhaar services after June 30.
Continue with
The Unique Identification Authority of India shut down the mAadhaar app on June 30. UIDAI posted on X the day before: “mAadhaar App is retiring tomorrow. Download Aadhaar App today for smarter, smoother & simpler experience!”
Users who stayed on the old app no longer have access to digital Aadhaar services – mobile number updates, address changes, and QR-code identity verification. The new Aadhaar App replaces it with a privacy-focused platform that shares details only with the holder's consent.
UIDAI said the new app had crossed 31 million downloads by June 22, roughly five months after launch. Nearly 4 million users already updated their mobile numbers through it; 850,000 updated their addresses.
The naive read: just download the replacement. The actual friction depends on whether your phone number is already registered with Aadhaar.
If the mobile number you log in with matches your registered Aadhaar number, the process is straightforward: verify via OTP, complete face authentication, and pay the fee. If the numbers differ, you need to verify both the registered number and your new one via OTP, then do face authentication.
Users who lack access to their registered mobile number – or never linked one – cannot complete the switch through the app. They must visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or authorised enrolment centre. First-time mobile registration is not done digitally.
The new app also supports QR-code offline verification. After logging in, go to services and share contact to display a QR code. Anyone can scan it with a smartphone camera to save the user's name and mobile number. This works for hotel check-ins, hospital admissions, airport entry, and verifying gig workers. The benefit: no physical Aadhaar card needed, and details only share with consent.
The key deadline has passed. Users still on the old app lose digital services immediately. Those who need to register their phone for the first time face the longest delay – a physical visit. For everyone else, the switch takes a few minutes but requires access to the registered number and a device with the app.