All About Biometric Lock/ Unlock

One of the most significant documents given to Indian residents by the government is their Aadhaar number. Each and every citizen of the nation has an Aadhaar. Anyone can sign up for it, from a newborn to an elderly person. Several government-sponsored services and programmes can be accessed with Aadhaar cards.

Additionally, the card stores vital personal data including fingerprints, iris scans, and facial photos. It is imperative that you protect the security of your data, particularly the biometrics stored in the Aadhaar card, given the growing concerns over data privacy and security. These details are vulnerable to misuse by security hackers and scammers.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has created a function that enables users to quickly lock and unlock Aadhaar biometric details because of its sensitivity. The Aadhaar cardholder will no longer be able to use the biometric information for authentication once you have locked it. A unique error code 330 will indicate that the biometric information cannot be accessed if someone tries to use any authentication service using an Aadhaar card when the biometrics are locked.

What is Biometric Locking?

Aadhaar holders can temporarily lock or unlock their biometrics using the Biometric Locking/Unlocking service. This facility aims for strengthening resident biometric data privacy and confidentiality.

Features of Adhaar Biometric Locking/ Unlocking

Users are advised to use Aadhaar authentication to confirm their identity by banks, telecom companies, and other organisations of this type.
The user's iris scan and fingerprints are locked under this service.
For authentication, the biometric lock may be momentarily unlocked.
Once you've disabled the lock on your biometrics, you don't need to unlock them.
To protect your information once again, you must lock your biometrics.
To lock or unlock the lock on the Aadhaar biometrics, you must log into the UIDAI portal.
To use this service, your cellphone number needs to be registered with your Aadhaar.
Your Aadhaar-registered cellphone number receives an OTP.
You won't be able to use this service if your cell number is not registered with UIDAI.
To use this service, you must first link your cellphone number to your Aadhaar.

How to lock Aadhaar biometrics via the UIDAI website?

The steps to lock your Aadhaar biometric information are shown below:

Visit uidai.gov.in to access the UIDAI's official website.
Go to My Aadhaar on the homepage and select Lock/Unlock Biometrics under Aadhaar Services.
Next, tick the box, and then select "Lock/Unlock Biometrics"
Besides your 12-digit Aadhaar number, you will need to enter a captcha verification code. Next, choose Send OTP.
To log in, enter the OTP that was sent to your registered mobile number.
Click Confirm after selecting Lock/Unlock Biometrics.
Your biometric data will be successfully locked.

How to unlock Aadhaar biometrics via the UIDAI website?

The user can unlock Aadhaar biometrics by taking the steps listed below:

Visit the official website at uidai.gov.in
Choose "Lock/Unlock Biometrics" from the "My Aadhaar" selection on the homepage.
After checking the declaration box, select "Lock/Unlock Biometrics."
Enter your Aadhaar number as well as the captcha verification code.
To enable your biometrics, select the "Get OTP" option and enter the code.
Your Aadhaar biometrics will now be unlocked.