The standalone ABHA app is on its way out. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), run by the National Health Authority (NHA), has advised the public that the ABHA App will be discontinued in the production environment from 31 October 2026, and that citizens should shift to Aarogya Setu 2.0 to keep using ABDM-enabled digital health services without interruption. The advisory was carried by local media in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 23–24 October.

The move turns Aarogya Setu 2.0 into the single citizen-facing app of India’s digital health stack. Elets eHealth reported on the relaunched app’s feature set in June; the sunset date now gives users a firm deadline to migrate.

What changes for ABHA users

According to the advisory, Aarogya Setu 2.0 now handles the functions people used the ABHA App for: creating and managing an Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) and accessing digital health records. The notice concerns the ABHA App’s production environment only. It does not say that ABHA numbers or the records linked to them will lapse.

ABDM’s official Aarogya Setu 2.0 page says users can log in with a mobile number, Aadhaar number, ABHA number or ABHA address, and that people without an ABHA can register in the app. ABHA registration is done with Aadhaar and generates both an ABHA Number and an ABHA Address. Citizens have been asked to download the app and start using it well before the cut-off rather than wait for the last day.

One app, a wider set of services

The advisory lists the core services available in Aarogya Setu 2.0:

• ABHA creation and management
• Secure, consent-based sharing of health records
• Digitisation and management of medical records, including physical documents
• Appointment scheduling and teleconsultation
• Discovery of healthcare facilities
• Wellness tracking

ABDM’s product page lists further features: a DigiLocker-powered Health Locker for storing records, “Smart Health Reports” that turn uploaded reports into dashboards and trends, and search through the Unified Health Interface (UHI) for blood banks, Jan Aushadhi Kendras, ambulances and AB PM-JAY empanelled hospitals. Through the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), users can also view AB PM-JAY wallet and claim details and Ayushman CAPF policy and reimbursement information. ABDM’s FAQs note that the app no longer offers the COVID-19 tracking, risk status or contact-tracing functions it was originally known for.

Scan & Share at the OPD counter

For hospitals, the most visible feature is Scan & Share. At participating facilities, patients scan a QR code at the counter with the app and share their ABHA details, with consent, for faster outpatient (OPD) registration. The advisory says this is meant to simplify registration, cut waiting times, improve patient flow and strengthen queue management. ABDM’s page also lists Scan & Pay for healthcare payments at the facility.

Scale of the ecosystem

The migration affects a large and growing user base. The official ABDM dashboard, last updated at 3:46 PM on 27 October 2026, shows more than 98.71 crore ABHAs created and over 126 crore health records linked, along with about 5.93 lakh verified facilities on the Health Facility Registry and 13.8 lakh verified healthcare professionals. Over 70 lakh ABHAs were created in October alone.

At Aarogya Manthan 2026 on 25 September, held to mark five years of ABDM, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda put the figures at more than 97.8 crore ABHAs and over 121 crore linked health records, according to a PIB release.

Why it matters

Moving to one citizen app fits ABDM’s broader push for interoperable, consent-led health records. For hospitals and health-tech partners, a single app gives patients one consistent way to register, share records and pay. Facilities that rely on QR-based registration may need to update patient-facing instructions before the 31 October cut-off.

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