How to Lock/Unlock your Aadhaar Biometrics data online

Aadhaar number has become an integral part of our identities. From bank accounts to PAN Card, insurance policies to mobile number, we need Aadhaar for all this and much more now. It being such a critical identity tool, it is important to ensure its safety.

One way to secure your Aadhaar card is to lock or seal your biometric data. For the uninitiated, biometrics is the fingerprint and iris data used for authentication of Aadhaar card. Aadhaar Biometric Locking System enables residents to lock and temporarily unlock their biometrics. Once resident enables Biometric Locking system their Biometric remains locked till the Aadhaar holder wants it to.
As per UIDAI (the nodal agency for Aadhaar authentication), “Locked Biometrics ensures the Aadhaar holder will not be able to use their Biometrics (fingerprints/iris) for authentications thus preventing potential misuse.” UIDAI allows Aadhaar card holders to disable as well as enable their Biometric data on its website.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for the same. But before you go ahead, remember that registered mobile number is essential to avail this facility online. In case your mobile number is not registered with Aadhaar, you will have to visit the nearest enrolment centre/mobile update end point for the same.

1. Paste the url ‘https://resident.uidai.gov.in/biometric-lock’ in your browser window
2. Once the page that opens, enter your 12-digit Aaadhaar number. Follow this up with the security code given in the box below. This is a 4-digit security code.
3. Post this, click on send OTP link.
4. An OTP will come on the mobile number registered with that Aadhaar number. There will also be a authentication message below the security code box (in green colour) saying, “OTP sent to your registered mobile number. Check your mobile.”
5. In case, the message does not come, you will be required to enter the four-digit security code again and wait for the authentication message.
6. Once, it appears just enter the OTP
7. Now enable biometrc locking on the page by clicking on the ‘Login’ link that appears below
8. Clicking on the link will take you to a page that says, “Congratulations! Your Biometric data 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.”
9. As for the disabling or unlocking of Aadhaar biometrics process, it is almost same as biometric locking. This means that users need to exactly use the very same process.
10. The url/section of the page that they need to do this on too is same, which is ‘https://resident.uidai.gov.in/biometric-lock’.