ABHA App Discontinued from 31 October: What to Tell Patients at Your Clinic Desk

Over the last few days, ABDM notices published in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have said the ABHA App will be discontinued "in the production environment" from 31 October 2026, and that people should move to Aarogya Setu 2.0. Patients who have heard this will ask the person nearest to them in a clinic: usually your receptionist, sometimes you.

This guide is for a solo OPD and its front desk. It is not a "what is ABHA" explainer. It covers the questions patients are likely to bring to your counter this week, and short, calm answers.

This is a general guide, not legal or official advice. Points marked "our reading" are our interpretation. Please check your state's ABDM channel for the latest.

What the notice says, and what it does not#

• What closes: the ABHA App, "in the production environment", from 31 October 2026.
• What replaces it: Aarogya Setu 2.0, which the notice describes as the place to create and manage an ABHA and see digital health records.
• Where the date comes from: ABDM notices reported by Andaman and Nicobar news outlets on 23 and 24 October 2026. We looked for a national notice from the National Health Authority (NHA) and did not find one. The official Aarogya Setu 2.0 page describes the new app but does not mention the 31 October date.
• What it does not say: the notice does not say ABHA accounts or ABHA numbers will end, and it does not announce any change to ABDM itself.

The questions patients will ask your desk#

"Is my ABHA number gone?" Our reading is no. The official Aarogya Setu 2.0 page says people sign in with their mobile number, Aadhaar number, ABHA number or ABHA address. Nothing we read says the number changes.

"Which app do I install now?" Aarogya Setu 2.0, published by the National Health Authority, on the Play Store or App Store. It is the same Aarogya Setu name from the COVID years, but the app has changed: the official FAQ says it no longer does COVID tracking, risk status or vaccine certificates.

"How do I log in?" With an existing ABHA: mobile number, Aadhaar number, ABHA number or ABHA address. Without one: tap Register Now. Registration uses Aadhaar and creates both an ABHA number and an ABHA address.

"Where is my ABHA card now?" The official page says users can register, log in and manage their ABHA number and ABHA address in Aarogya Setu 2.0. If a patient cannot find their card in the new app, point them to the ABDM call centre: 1800-11-4477 or 14477, which ABDM says runs 24 x 7. Please do not guess at steps on their behalf.

"Where are my reports?" Aarogya Setu 2.0 lets people link, view and share health records with consent, and has a Health Locker powered by DigiLocker for uploading their own documents.

"Can I just scan something here?" Only if your clinic shows an ABDM Scan and Share QR code. The app offers Scan and Share (the official page calls it "Scan & Register") for faster OPD registration at participating ABDM-enabled facilities: the patient scans the facility's QR code and shares ABHA details with consent. If you have not set this up, say so and register the patient the usual way.

Three mix-ups to clear up at the desk#

ABHA number or ABHA address? The ABHA number is the 14-digit number. The ABHA address looks like a username, such as name@abdm. The official FAQ says registering in Aarogya Setu 2.0 creates both, and either one can be used to log in. For your patient record, the 14-digit number is the one to note.

ABHA or Ayushman card? Many patients use the two words for the same thing. They are different. The ABHA is a health ID for linking and sharing records. The Ayushman card is the beneficiary card for free treatment under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY. If a patient asks whether the app change affects free treatment, our reading is that it does not: the notices only talk about the ABHA app.

The new Aarogya Setu or the old one? Some patients still have the COVID-era Aarogya Setu on their phone, or remember uninstalling it. The official FAQ says Aarogya Setu 2.0 no longer does COVID tracking, risk status, vaccine certificates or contact tracing. If a patient opens the app and it looks like the old one, ask them to update it from the Play Store or App Store and check the publisher is the National Health Authority.

What changes at your front desk#

• The ABHA number itself does not change. If you already write a patient's 14-digit ABHA number in their record, keep doing so.
• Expect a different app on the patient's phone. From November, patients will show Aarogya Setu 2.0, not the ABHA App.
• Keep the queue moving. A patient who cannot log in should not hold up registration. Take their name, age and phone number as usual, and suggest they sort out the app later.
• Never ask for an OTP or password. Staff should not log in to a patient's app or take their Aadhaar OTP to "help". Ask for the ABHA number only if the patient chooses to share it.
• Keep one short line ready. For example: "The ABHA App is closing. Your ABHA number stays the same. Please install Aarogya Setu 2.0 from the Play Store and log in with your mobile number or ABHA number."
• Keep the same line in Hindi for patients who prefer it: "ABHA ऐप 31 अक्टूबर से बंद हो रहा है। आपका ABHA नंबर वही रहेगा। Play Store से Aarogya Setu 2.0 डाउनलोड करें और अपने मोबाइल नंबर या ABHA नंबर से लॉगिन करें।"
• Print it. A single A4 sheet at the counter, in English and the local language, answers the question before the patient reaches the front of the queue.

A note for the doctor#

This change is about the patient's app. It does not, by itself, create a new duty for a private OPD. If your clinic software stores ABHA numbers, it does so on its own side, not through the patient's app, so the app switch should not affect what you already have on file. Medabha's EMR software, for example, stores the ABHA number on the patient record.

One thing does move. When a clinic's software asks ABDM for a patient's records from another hospital, the patient approves that consent request in their health app. Our reading is that, from 31 October, that means Aarogya Setu 2.0 for patients who used the ABHA App. If your staff tell patients "approve it in the ABHA app", change that line. We have updated the wording inside Medabha too.

If you want the bigger picture of how ABHA fits with your own clinic records, see EMR vs EHR: what's the difference.

With Medabha you can share each prescription with the patient on WhatsApp, no app needed.

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What to watch after 31 October#

• Whether a national NHA notice appears, or the date moves.
• Whether your state's ABDM team issues its own instructions for clinics.
• Questions patients keep repeating. If the same one comes up three times, add it to your desk script.

We will update this page if the official position changes.

Sources#

• ABDM notice as reported by Andaman Chronicle, 23 October 2026: ABHA App to be Discontinued, Citizens Encouraged to Transit to Arogya Setu 2.0
• Nicobar Times, 24 October 2026: ABHA App to Be Discontinued from October 31
• The Wave Andaman, 24 October 2026: ABHA App to Stop on October 31
• National Health Authority, official page and FAQ: Aarogya Setu 2.0, read on 24 October 2026
• Google Play listing: AarogyaSetu 2.0, publisher National Health Authority