How to lock your Aadhaar biometrics and reduce the risk of fraud

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• Aadhaar biometric lock stops unauthorized fingerprint or iris access.
• Locking biometrics does not affect UPI, net banking, or debit card transactions
• UIDAI allows checking authentication history, managing biometric lock online.

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Your Aadhaar today is linked to your bank account, PAN, mobile number, mutual funds, EPF and often even your LPG subsidy. That makes it incredibly useful. It also makes it something you should actively protect.

One feature many people ignore is biometric locking. UIDAI allows you to lock your fingerprint and iris data so that no one can use biometric authentication unless you unlock it first. If you are worried about misuse through Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems or unauthorised authentication attempts, this is a simple precaution.

Here’s how it works.

Go to the official UIDAI website. Under Aadhaar services, choose the biometric lock option. Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and the captcha code. You will get an OTP on your registered mobile number. Once you verify, you can use the biometric lock feature.

You can also do this through the mAadhaar app. After logging in, go to biometric settings and switch on the lock.

Once locked, your biometrics cannot be used for authentication. If you need to use fingerprint verification temporarily, you can unlock it using OTP authentication. After a short opening, it will lock again automatically.

This does not affect regular banking through UPI, net banking or debit cards. It only prevents biometric-based authentication.

Why does this matter?

Because Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems allow transactions based on fingerprint authentication in some areas. While convenient, misuse has been reported in certain cases where biometric data was accessed without consent. UIDAI also allows you to check your authentication history online. It’s worth reviewing that periodically.

You should also remember the basics. Never share OTPs. Do not give photocopies of Aadhaar unnecessarily. Masked Aadhaar can be used for non-financial verification purposes.

Biometric locking is not a panic measure. It’s preventive hygiene. In an environment where identity fraud and social engineering scams are increasing, small protective steps go a long way.

If you have not checked your Aadhaar settings in years, now is probably a good time.