mAadhaar is a mobile app launched by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in July 2017. The name mAadhaar stands for mobile Aadhaar. As the name itself indicates, mAadhaar app helps the Aadhaar cardholders to carry a soft copy of their Aadhaar in mobile devices. It includes the demographic details like name, address, date of birth, gender, and biometrics etc.
mAadhaar app is developed to eliminate the need of carrying physical identification documents. Nice. Isn’t it? Now, if all the user demographic info is stored on a device, what about the security? All the user info is password protected. The password that is set at the time of registering/first login.
To encourage the usage of mAadhaar app, the government of India has allowed mAadhaar app data to be used as proof of identity for rail journeys. Want to try the app? The app is currently available in Google Play Store for Android devices only.
How to download mAadhaar app?
- On Android phone go to the Google Play Store and download the app.
- First, you have to set a password upon opening the mAadhaar app. It should be of length 8-12 characters and must be the combination of numbers, alphabets, and special characters.
- To be remembered: Mobile number must be registered to UIDAI
- Further, enter your Aadhaar number into the mAadhaar app.
- Tip: The other way is to scan the QR code on Aadhaar and it fetches the information automatically.
- Next, mAadhaar app sends a text message to the phone number linked.
- mAadhaar will automatically retrieve the OTP from message inbox and there is no need to enter it manually.
- To be remembered: Ensure you have the SIM card of the registered phone number on the same phone before downloading the app.
- Once the OTP is verified, the user profile will be displayed with name and Aadhaar number. To see the details one has to enter the password again.
- Tip: Do not navigate away from the app until OTP is verified for successful verification.
- To sum up, that’s the entire process to download mAadhaar app on Android phones.
Also Read: How to Use BHIM App? Benefits, Features and Usage Guide
What are the features of mAadhaar app?
Locking and unlocking of biometric details: If a user enables lock, his/her biometric details remains locked until the Aadhaar Holder chose to Unlock.
Update Profile View: The app displays user an updated view of the profile on a mobile screen upon update request completion. Furthermore, it allows the user to share QR code and eKYC details with telecom service providers.
Easy interface: The most interesting point about the mAadhaar app is its interface. Even a user with minimum knowledge of smartphone operation can use the app without any difficulty.
Proof of Identity: As already said above, mAadhaar app can be used as proof of identity during the train journeys in India.
Time-Based One-Time Password Generation: The app supports Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) generation process. It can be used in place of the regular SMS-based one-time password (OTP) system.
How Safe and Secure is mAadhaar?
The UIDIA has taken enough measures to secure and protect the user data. Each time the user opens mAadhaar app, it prompts for a password before any action is performed.
Only a single profile can be active on a device at a time. However, if the mobile is lost or stolen, create a profile on another device with the same registered mobile number. This immediately makes the profile the inactive on an old device. Not just that, mAadhaar app even deletes the profile from older device whenever an operation is tried to perform.
Conclusion: As can be seen Aadhaar card has been mandatory to avail most of the services and to get the subsidies like LPG and rations, mAadhaar app definitely comes in handy for indeed.
Improvements in Version 1.1.1 (Released on February 19, 2018)
- Password pattern changed to contain only numbers and of length 4. (Uninstall the older version and install the new version. The app may misbehave if you update the older version)
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