Locking and Unlocking Aadhaar: If you want to protect your Aadhaar card from unauthorized use due to loss or theft, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) provides a lock/unlock feature. If your Aadhaar card gets lost or stolen, you can lock it to prevent fraud.
According to ET, this lock can be removed once you find or replace your card, either by using your registered mobile phone or through the UIDAI website. While locked, no one can use your Aadhaar for any kind of authentication.
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Here’s how you can lock and unlock your Aadhaar:
Locking Aadhaar
1. Generate a Virtual ID (VID): To lock your Aadhaar, you need a 16-digit Virtual ID (VID). You can generate this using the “Generate Virtual ID” service on the UIDAI website [www.myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in] or via SMS.
To generate a VID via SMS, send “GVID [last 4 or 8 digits of UID]” to 1947. For example, “GVID 1234”.
2. Lock Aadhaar with VID: Once you have the VID, use it to lock your Aadhaar on the UIDAI website or the mAadhaar app. After locking, authentication using your Aadhaar number, biometric, demographic, or OTP modes will be disabled.
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Unlocking Aadhaar
1. Retrieve your VID: If you need to unlock your Aadhaar but have forgotten your VID, send “RVID [last 4 or 8 digits of UID]” to 1947 to retrieve it. For example, “RVID 1234”.
2. Unlock Aadhaar with VID: Once you have your VID, go to the UIDAI website or use the mAadhaar app to unlock your Aadhaar. After unlocking, authentication using the Aadhaar number or VID is enabled again.
Retrieve VID after locking
If you forget your VID after locking your UID, you can get it back using SMS. Here’s how:
1. Send an SMS to 1947 from your registered mobile number.
2. The message should be: “RVID” followed by a space and the last 4 or 8 digits of your UID. Example: RVID 1234
3. You’ll receive your 16-digit VID via SMS on your registered mobile number.
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Lock your UID
To lock your UID, you need a 16-digit VID (Virtual ID). If you don’t have one, you can get it through SMS or the UIDAI website (www.myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in). Here’s what you should do:
– Once you have your VID, visit the UIDAI website (www.myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in) and use the “Lock/Unlock Aadhaar” feature.
– Enter your 16-digit VID and follow the on-screen instructions to lock your UID.
After locking, your UID is protected from unauthorized use. If you want to unlock it later, you can use your VID and follow a similar process on the UIDAI website.
