How to Activate UAN in UMANG With Face Authentication

If you click "Activate UAN" on the EPFO Member Portal today, you get a notice instead of a form: "The facility for UAN Activation through this portal has been discontinued." The same applies to getting a new UAN yourself through "Direct UAN Allotment". Both now happen in the UMANG app, using Aadhaar face authentication.

You do it on a phone. You need your Aadhaar number, the mobile number linked to that Aadhaar, and the UMANG app; EPFO's published Android steps also use UIDAI's AadhaarFaceRD app. Below are the steps for both cases, what happens after, and what to do when it doesn't work.

What changed on the EPFO Member Portal

EPFO announced UAN generation and activation through face authentication in UMANG on 9 April 2025 (Press Information Bureau release ID 2120326). The Member Portal now carries two notices:

The old method was an OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile on the portal. EPFO's release explains why it introduced face authentication: in 2024-25, out of 1.26 crore UANs allotted, only 44.68 lakh (35.30%) were activated by members, and employer-entered details such as father's name, mobile number or date of birth were often wrong. With face authentication, the details come straight from Aadhaar and the person is matched to the Aadhaar photo.

Before you start: what you need

• Aadhaar number.
• The mobile number registered with your Aadhaar. The release says the number you enter "will be matched with Mobile registered with Aadhaar for sending OTP", so keep that phone with you.
• The UMANG app. The Member Portal notice says to download it from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
• The AadhaarFaceRD app by UIDAI, on Android. EPFO's release lists it as a step: download it from the Play Store and install it. The portal notices mention only UMANG, and neither says what an iPhone needs, so on an iPhone follow the instructions UMANG shows.
• You, in front of the camera. Your live face is matched with your Aadhaar photo.

Steps: activate a UAN you already have

Use this if your employer generated your UAN (your salary slip or HR will have the number) but you have never activated it. EPFO has published the menu path for this, not detailed steps:

1. Install UMANG (and, on Android, AadhaarFaceRD).
2. Open UMANG and select EPFO Services.
3. Under UAN Services Through Face Auth, choose UAN Activation.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions. It is an Aadhaar face authentication, so expect it to look like the new-UAN steps below: keep your Aadhaar number and your Aadhaar-linked phone ready.

If you don't know your UAN, the Member Portal still has Know Your UAN, which retrieves it from basic details.

Steps: get a new UAN yourself

Use this if you are joining your first job with EPF and don't have a UAN yet. The release says employers can use the same service and asks them to help first-time employees with it, so HR may walk you through it. These are the steps in EPFO's release:

1. Install UMANG and AadhaarFaceRD from the Play Store.
2. Open UMANG and go to UAN Allotment and Activation under UAN Services Through Face Auth.
3. Enter your Aadhaar number and the mobile number linked with Aadhaar.
4. Tick the consent checkbox.
5. Enter the OTP you receive.
6. The camera opens to capture a live photo. When the outline around your face turns from red to green, the capture worked.
7. Your photo is matched with the one in the Aadhaar database. Your UAN is generated and sent by SMS.
8. Download the e-UAN card from UMANG or the Member Portal. The release says the UAN "is auto-activated in the Member Portal", so you don't need a separate activation step.

Give the UAN and a copy of the e-UAN card to your employer when you join. The release says this is meant to remove the dependence on the employer: you generate the UAN, and the employer uses it to enrol you with EPFO.

Two examples. Priya is joining her first job. Before her joining date she generates a UAN in UMANG with face authentication, downloads the e-UAN card and emails it to HR. Arjun has worked for three years; his employer created a UAN when he joined, but he never activated it. He uses UAN Activation in UMANG and can then use EPFO services such as the passbook.

After activation: what you can do

The release says passbook viewing, KYC updates, claim submission and other EPFO services "are immediately unlocked" once the UAN is generated and activated this way. Some useful next steps:

• Check your passbook. If interest seems missing, see why EPF interest may not show in your passbook.
• Update KYC. Bank account and PAN on your UAN matter when you claim. Mismatches are a common reason in PF claims rejected and how to fix them.
• File your nomination. The Member Portal reminds members that filing nominations is mandatory under the EPF Scheme, 2026. Our post on what the EPF Scheme 2026 changed covers the new scheme.
• Merge old accounts. If you had a UAN at an earlier job too, see two UANs and how to merge them.

The EPFO services in UMANG work once you are activated. The Member Portal on a computer asks for your UAN and a password; if you don't have one, the login page has a Forgot Password? link to try.

If it doesn't work

No OTP arrives. The OTP goes to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar. If your Aadhaar has an old number, or none, the OTP can't reach you; the usual fix is to update the mobile number in Aadhaar with UIDAI, then try again.

The face capture fails. On Android, make sure AadhaarFaceRD is installed, since EPFO's steps include it. Follow the on-screen guide and wait for the outline to turn green. Your face is matched against your Aadhaar photo.

Activation fails for an existing UAN. The UAN record was created from details your employer filed. If you suspect they differ from your Aadhaar, ask your employer what they filed, and call the EPFO helpdesk.

You are stuck. The Member Portal lists 14470 as the EPFO helpdesk. For a complaint that needs a written record, use EPFiGMS; the PF claim rejected guide explains how to raise one.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still activate my UAN on the EPFO Member Portal?

No. The portal's notice says UAN activation through the portal "has been discontinued" and points to Aadhaar face authentication in the UMANG app.

Do I need my employer to generate my UAN?

No. You can generate it yourself, though employers can still create it for you. EPFO's release says the employee can generate the UAN and download the e-UAN card, "removing any dependency with Employer", and then give it to the employer when joining.

Is a separate activation needed after I generate a UAN in UMANG?

No. The release says a UAN generated this way is auto-activated in the Member Portal.

Can I do face authentication for someone else?

Only with them present. Face authentication matches the live face to the Aadhaar holder's photo, and the OTP goes only to the mobile registered with their Aadhaar. Someone can help them with the phone, but it is their face and their OTP.

Which mobile number should I enter?

The one registered with your Aadhaar. EPFO matches it with the Aadhaar record before sending the OTP.

Sources

• EPFO Leverages Enhanced Digital Services for UAN Generation and Activation Using Aadhaar Face Authentication via UMANG App, Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Labour and Employment), 9 April 2025.
• EPFO Unified Member Portal: notices on Direct UAN Allotment and UAN Activation through the UMANG app, Know Your UAN, helpdesk number 14470 (viewed 1 November 2026).