The Unique Identification Authority of India has replaced the mAadhaar interface with a redesigned Aadhaar mobile app that puts data control and consent front and center while also announcing new partnerships with Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet and DigiLocker.
The refreshed experience lets one device manage up to five Aadhaar records, so families or caretakers can administer multiple profiles without juggling separate logins. Users can also create a family profile that keeps each person’s biometrics, demographics and verified documents in one place but still prompts individuals before any profile is used for authentication.
When interacting with hotels, delivery services or gig-economy platforms, residents can now share only the fields required for the transaction instead of transmitting their entire authentication stack. New consent controls also allow people to lock and unlock their biometrics, view authentication logs, and update addresses or mobile numbers through the app without visiting an enrolment centre, making digital identity management more flexible.
Authentication timestamps and device details now appear inside the app so users can spot unauthorized touches and choose to revoke permissions if another app tries to act on their profile.
The app introduces Offline Verification Seeking Entities, a class of organizations that can scan Aadhaar QR codes without touching the central database, shrinking the risk that mass downloads of Aadhaar numbers end up in third-party Excel sheets. ‘What happens is some operators collect a whole set of Aadhaar numbers because they are verifying somebody… and that data is maintained in an Excel sheet somewhere, which leaks,’ said S Krishnan, secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
By pairing the refreshed interface with wallet partners, UIDAI lets citizens push Aadhaar verifiable credentials built on ISO 18013-5 and W3C standards into consumer wallets while maintaining explicit consent. ‘If you trust Google wallet, or Samsung wallet, you will upload your documents. 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,’ a senior UIDAI official said.
The combination of granular sharing controls, offline verification rules and certified wallet channels strengthens the country’s foundational identity system while giving users a clearer picture of who touches their biometric data.
Sources: Hindustan Times, Google Blog
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
