The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is retiring its long-running mAadhaar application and directing residents to a redesigned Aadhaar app built around selective data sharing and face-based verification. UIDAI said users should move to the new app, which it said brings stronger security and better privacy controls, and confirmed that mAadhaar will stop working once it is taken offline.
The replacement app was rebuilt to align with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, with an emphasis on sharing only the data a given transaction requires. Its Selective Share function lets a user disclose specific attributes, such as name, photo, age, gender, address, mobile number, or Aadhaar status, instead of exposing a full Aadhaar profile. QR-based sharing lets a holder prove identity without revealing the 12-digit Aadhaar number, replacing the common practice of handing over a photocopy.
The app uses face authentication for identity verification and can prompt a face check during initial setup as an added layer. The same face authentication can be used to start a mobile number update from within the app, subject to a nominal fee, rather than requiring a visit to an enrolment center. It includes a biometric lock covering fingerprint, face, and iris data, and supports up to five Aadhaar profiles on a single device under a One Family, One App model. The app is available in 13 Indian languages, offers offline identity verification, and is distributed through the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Data does not move over automatically. UIDAI said mAadhaar profiles will not transfer to the new app, so residents must add each profile manually after installing it. No firm shutdown date for mAadhaar was provided.
The new app builds on UIDAI’s earlier release of a tool for QR-based Aadhaar sharing and at-home profile updates, and on the authority’s broader push into face authentication, including a move to expand Aadhaar face authentication to private-sector apps. UIDAI had also prepared an iOS build of the Aadhaar app, extending availability beyond Android.
Aadhaar is the world’s largest biometric identity program, covering more than a billion enrolled residents, which makes a change to the primary consumer-facing app a significant operational shift for everyday identity verification in India.
Sources: India TV News, ETV Bharat
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By Cass Kennedy
