Digital & Tech Initiatives

EPFO shifts UAN activation and generation to UMANG app with face authentication

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Monday, 6 July 2026 2 min readSource: CA - Aadhaar/IdentityArticle 20 of 26

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has moved UAN (Universal Account Number) activation and generation off its Member Portal and onto the government's UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) app, where users must complete Aadhaar-based Face Authentication (FAT). The change follows a major technology upgrade that restored EPFO's Unified Member Portal after scheduled maintenance, including software upgrades and database consolidation to improve speed, security and reliability. To activate a UAN, users download UMANG, go to EPFO Services, select UAN Services Through Face Authentication, enter their 12-digit UAN, Aadhaar number and Aadhaar-linked mobile number, give consent and complete face authentication. A UAN is a unique number assigned to every EPF member that stays unchanged through job changes, enabling passbook access, PF transfers, withdrawal claims and KYC updates.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
EPFO has shifted UAN activation and generation exclusively to the UMANG app, ending these services on the Member Portal.
2
Users must now complete Aadhaar-based Face Authentication (FAT) to activate or generate a UAN.
3
The change followed a technology upgrade restoring EPFO's Unified Member Portal, including software upgrades and database consolidation.
4
Activation requires entering the 12-digit UAN, Aadhaar number and Aadhaar-linked mobile number and completing face authentication.
5
A UAN is a unique number assigned to every EPF member that remains unchanged throughout their career, irrespective of job changes.
6
An activated UAN enables checking PF balances, downloading passbooks, transferring accounts, filing withdrawal claims and updating KYC.

Deep Dive

+
Members without a UAN can generate one by verifying their mobile number, providing details and completing authentication.
+
EPFO clarified the changes do not affect death claim settlements, which continue through the existing process.
+
The shift reflects EPFO's push towards Aadhaar-backed digital verification to strengthen identity checks and reduce unauthorised access.

Exam Focus

Examiners may ask which app now hosts UAN activation, the authentication method required, and what a UAN is.

Exam Relevance & Angle

Moving UAN services to the UMANG app with mandatory Aadhaar Face Authentication affects crores of salaried employees who manage provident fund accounts, strengthening identity verification and security while advancing India's broader push for Aadhaar-backed digital governance and contactless self-service in social security administration.

Target Exams

SBI POSBI ClerkIBPS POIBPS ClerkRBI Grade BRBI AssistantSSC CGLSSC CHSLUPSC CSE

Background & Context

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) administers retirement savings for organised-sector workers under the EPF & MP Act, 1952. The Universal Account Number (UAN) is a permanent 12-digit identifier that links a member's multiple PF accounts across employers. UMANG is a unified government app offering hundreds of e-services across departments. Aadhaar Face Authentication uses facial recognition matched against Aadhaar records as a contactless verification method. Shifting services to app-based Aadhaar authentication is part of the government's broader move to reduce fraud, cut paperwork and enable self-service in social-security administration.