If you are an employee in India, you might be familiar with the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), a retirement savings scheme that offers various benefits such as tax exemption, interest income, and withdrawal facility. To avail of these benefits, you need to have a Universal Account Number (UAN), a unique 12-digit number that links your EPF accounts across different employers. You also need to register your mobile number on the EPFO portal, as it is essential for accessing your EPF account online, receiving updates and alerts, and verifying your identity. But what if you change your mobile number and want to update it on the EPFO portal? How do you do that? And what if you forget your password and need to reset it using your new mobile number?
In this blog, we will show you the steps to change your mobile number in an EPF account online, as well as how to register your mobile number in an EPF account for the first time, along with th process to update your mobile number if you have forgotten your password.
How to Register Mobile Number in EPF Account
Before learning how to update your phone number in UAN, first, understand how to register your mobile number on the EPFO Member Portal. When your UAN is created, you must activate it by logging into the EPFO member portal.
Here are the steps for UAN activation and to register your mobile :
- Go to the EPFO Member Portal.
2. Click on ‘Activate UAN’ located on the bottom right side of your screen under the head, ‘Important Links.’
3. Provide your details like name, UAN number, date of birth, mobile number, and email ID.
4. After entering all the details, click on the ‘Get Authorization Pin’ option.
5. You will get a One Time Password (OTP) on your mobile number; you must enter it to activate your UAN.
This is a dual-purpose process that helps in account activation as well as in registering a mobile number in an EPF account.
How to Change Mobile Number in PF Account- Online Process
However, once your account is registered and you wish to make an updation in your existing mobile number, here are the quick steps that you must follow for a PF mobile number change online:
Step 1: You must visit the official website of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation- EPFO.
Step 2: Next, you must click “Services” from the menu on the top of your screen and then select “For Employees” from the drop-down menu that pops on clicking the Services tab.
Step 3: Choose “Member UAN/Online Service (OCS/OTCP) from the head- SERVICES (on the bottom left of your screen).
Step 4: Enter your details like UAN, password, and captcha details, and click on “Sign In.”
Step 5: As you enter the next page, under the “Manage” tab on the top of your screen, click on “Contact Details.”
Step 6: You can now view two options: to change the mobile number and email ID. One says ‘Change Mobile Number’ and the other ‘Change Email ID.
Step 7: Select the “Change Mobile No.” option.
Step 8: As you do, a few more options pop- up with some additional fields visible on your screen. You must enter your new mobile number twice and click on “Get Authorization Pin.”
Step 9: You’ll receive an OTP on the new mobile number. Enter the OTP and click on “Submit.”
Once done, your new mobile number will be updated on the EPFO portal.
How to Update Mobile Number if You’ve Forgotten Your Password
Here are the simple steps that you must follow in case you have forgotten your EPF password and want to change the PF password online.
Step 1: Go to the page: unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in
Step 2: On your screen, towards the mid-right side, click on ‘Forgot Password.’
Step 3: As the next page pops up, enter your UAN and captcha details. After entering the details, you need to click on ‘Submit.’
Step 4: On the next page, provide your name, date of birth, and gender.
Step 5: Click on ‘Verify’ after entering the details.
Step 6: Enter the Captcha and your Aadhaar number. After entering the relevant details, click on ‘Verify.’
Step 7: Once your details are validated, enter the new mobile number and click on ‘Get OTP.’
Step 8: An OTP will be sent to the new mobile number. Enter the OTP and click on ‘Verify.’
Step 9: After the verification, you can choose to change your password. Enter the new password twice and click on ‘Submit.’
Once completed, your mobile number and password will be updated on the EPFO portal.
Offline SMS Services Offered by EPF
EPFO provides a range of services online and through SMS as well as the Umang app. The following EPF services are accessible through SMS:
- UAN and its status (Active or inactive)
- EPF Details
- EPF/PF Balance
- EPF transfer/withdrawal status
- Bank account, PAN, and Aadhaar linking status
- Last contribution
- OTP service for authentication
Activated UAN members can inquire about their latest PF contribution and balance by sending an SMS to 7738299899 from their registered mobile number. The format for the SMS is “EPFOHO UAN” to 7738299899. The service is available in English by default and can also be received in Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali.
To receive SMS in a language other than English, add the first three characters of the preferred language after UAN. For example, to receive an SMS in Telugu, the SMS should be “EPFOHO UAN TEL” to 7738299899.
Important points to note:
SMS should be sent from the RMN- your registered mobile number of UAN.
EPFO sends the last PF contribution and balance details along with available KYC information.
The service is available in 10 languages for user convenience.
FAQs| EPFO Mobile Change Online
The documents accepted for KYC include the PAN-Permanent Account Number, Bank Account Number, Passport, Driving License, Election Card, and Ration Card. Please note that the Aadhaar card will no longer be accepted as proof of date of birth, following a directive from the UIDAI.
No, it is not possible to change your UAN number once it is generated by EPFO. The UAN is a unique and permanent identification number that consolidates all your EPF accounts under different employers.
No, it is not permissible to have two active UAN numbers simultaneously, according to EPFO regulations. You should maintain only one UAN throughout your lifetime
Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks; read all the related documents carefully before investing with all EPF accounts linked to it. Possessing two UANs can lead to complications in accessing EPF benefits like pension, withdrawal, and transfer.
No, there is no need to obtain UAN again. It is a unique number that remains the same throughout your career.
Source- unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in, epfindia.gov.in, epfindia.gov.in/site
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Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks; read all the related documents carefully before investing.