Aadhaar Card: How To Lock, Unlock Biometric Details

Did you know you can actually lock the biometrics-related information associated with your Aadhaar card? The UIDAI or Unique Identification Authority of India, the issuer of the 12-digit identity number - also known as the Unique Identity Number or UID, has come out with a set of instructions on how you can lock this information. Biometrics are fingerprints and iris data used for Aadhaar authentication. Sharing the various steps in the biometrics locking process in a video shared on Twitter, the UIDAI said: "If you do not intend to use your biometrics in near future, you can lock your biometrics." This can be done using a tool given on the UIDAI website - uidai.gov.in.

The Aadhaar Biometric locking system enables users to lock and temporarily unlock their biometrics. "This is to protect privacy and confidentiality of resident's biometrics Data," the UIDAI added on its website. Once locked, the use of biometrics for authentication is restricted against any attempt to authenticate the it, "thus preventing potential misuse", according to the UIDAI.

How to Lock your Biometrics in Aadhaar? For the process please see - https://t.co/gyvpRWT59mpic.twitter.com/a8W7TJdJqj

— Aadhaar (@UIDAI) August 25, 2017

How to lock your Aadhaar card biometrics:

Once you are on the UIDAI website, find and click on the 'Lock/Unlock Biometrics' link under the Aadhaar Services section. This link leads to a separate page titled Lock/Unlock Biometrics'.
 Under the 'Lock your Biometrics' section, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and the security code in the specified fields.An OTP or One-Time Password for Login will be sent to your registered mobile number, according to the UIDAI website.

Enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number in the respective field and click 'Login'. "Registered Mobile Number is essential to avail this service. In case your mobile number is not registered with Aadhaar, visit the nearest Enrolment Centre/Mobile Update End Point," the UIDAI said separately on its website.
 Once logged in, enter the security code once again and click on 'Enable'. Your biometrics will now be locked. "You would not be able to use Aadhaar-based biometric authentication for any service unless you 'Unlock' your biometrics," the UIDAI portal added.(At the end of the locking process, the UIDAI's online tool displays the message shown in the image above)

At the end of the process of enabling the lock, the UIDAI online tool displays the message: "Congratulation! Your Biometrics is locked. You will not be able to authenticate by using your fingerprint or iris. You can unlock biometrics temporarily for any authentication requirements. You can also disable the Locked Biometrics But before that you will be required to login using your Aadhaar."

How to disable Aadhaar card biometric lock

For unlocking your biometrics, first login using the OTP-based method explained earlier.

Once logged in, enter the security code and then click on 'Disable' button on the next page to disable the biometric lock, according to the UIDAI website. Once the lock is enabled, the user can either unlock it (which is temporary) or disable the locking system, it noted.

Users of the biometrics locking system are cautioned to use this facility with care to prevent denial of authentication services, the UIDAI added.