I tried new Aadhaar app for 10 days, with no wallet: Here’s what happened

Ever since my young teenage days, proving your identity in India has always meant carrying a folder, or at least a few folded photocopies of your Aadhaar card. My wallet has always carried a duplicate copy of the physical Aadhaar card, and my backpack has had a photocopy or two of the fully detailed Aadhaar profile. Hence, when the UIDAI introduced the new Aadhaar app earlier in 2026, I was enthralled. It promised a paperless Aadhaar verification system, which, in a digital age, feels like relief.