How to lock and unlock Aadhaar for protection against fraud: A step-by-step guide

Aadhaar Card

To safeguard your Aadhaar card from unauthorised use in case of loss or theft, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) offers a lock/unlock feature. This feature allows you to lock your Aadhaar card to prevent misuse if it's lost or stolen. Once you recover or replace your card, you can remove the lock either through your registered mobile phone or by visiting the UIDAI website.

Locking your Aadhaar card helps prevent potential fraud and misuse of your personal information associated with the card. To unlock it, simply use your registered mobile number or access the UIDAI portal online.

Lock and unlock Aadhaar card: Know the process

When your Aadhaar card is locked, it prevents anyone from using it for authentication purposes. To lock or unlock your Aadhaar card, follow these steps:

Locking Aadhaar

Generate a Virtual ID (VID):

Visit the UIDAI website [www.myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in] or send an SMS "GVID [last 4 or 8 digits of UID]" to 1947 to generate a 16-digit Virtual ID (VID). For example, send "GVID 1234" to 1947.
Alternatively, you can generate a VID through the mAadhaar app.

Lock Aadhaar with VID:

Once you obtain the VID, visit the UIDAI website or use the mAadhaar app to lock your Aadhaar.
Locking your Aadhaar with VID disables authentication using Aadhaar number, biometric, demographic, or OTP modes, enhancing security against unauthorised use.

Unlocking Aadhaar

Retrieve Your VID:

If you have forgotten your VID, you can retrieve it by sending an SMS "RVID [last 4 or 8 digits of UID]" to 1947. For instance, send "RVID 1234" to 1947 to retrieve your VID.
Alternatively, you can retrieve your VID through the mAadhaar app or UIDAI website.

Unlock Aadhaar with VID:

Once you obtain your VID, visit the UIDAI website or use the mAadhaar app to unlock your Aadhaar.
After unlocking, authentication using the Aadhaar number or VID is re-enabled, allowing you to use Aadhaar for verification and authentication purposes.

Retrieve VID after locking

If you've forgotten your VID after locking your UID, you can retrieve it through SMS with these steps:

From your registered mobile number, send an SMS to 1947.
In the SMS message, include "RVID" followed by a space and the last 4 or 8 digits of your UID. For example, "RVID 1234".
You will receive your 16-digit VID via SMS on your registered mobile number.

Lock your UID

To secure your UID, you will require a 16-digit VID (Virtual ID). If you don't have one, you can obtain it via SMS or through the UIDAI website (www.myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in). Here's how:

Obtain your 16-digit VID by sending an SMS or visiting the UIDAI website.

Once you have your VID, go to the UIDAI website (www.myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in) and locate the "Lock/Unlock Aadhaar" feature.

Input your 16-digit VID and then proceed with the on-screen instructions to secure your UID.

After locking, your UID will be protected from unauthorised use. If you wish to unlock it later, you can use your VID and follow a similar process on the UIDAI website.