How do I mask my Aadhaar number before sharing a copy?
By the PdfDady team · Updated · 7 min read
A masked Aadhaar shows only the last four digits of your Aadhaar number. The first eight are replaced with xxxx-xxxx. The cleanest way to get one is from UIDAI itself: when you download e-Aadhaar from the myAadhaar portal, tick the masked Aadhaar option and the file comes with the number already hidden.
If you already have a full copy (a scan, a photo or the regular e-Aadhaar PDF) and need to send it today, you can black out the first eight digits yourself. Our Redact PDF tool has a preset for exactly this, and it removes the digits from the file rather than just covering them. Both routes are explained below, along with when a masked copy is the wrong choice.
When a masked copy is enough, and when it isn't
A lot of the places that ask for "a copy of your Aadhaar" only want to see that you are who you say you are: your name, photo, address and perhaps year of birth. A hotel front desk, a housing society, a coaching institute or a new landlord rarely has any use for all twelve digits. A masked copy gives them everything they can see and check, without handing over a number that will sit in someone's email or WhatsApp chat for years.
It is not always enough, though. Some services record the full number by design. UIDAI's own FAQ on the Virtual ID notes that some government entities may require the Aadhaar number for welfare schemes. If a form has a box for the 12-digit number, or the official asking says they need it, a masked copy won't get you through. Ask before you go rather than arguing at the counter.
A third option sits between the two. UIDAI lets you generate a Virtual ID (VID), a temporary 16-digit number linked to your Aadhaar that can be used for authentication or e-KYC in place of the Aadhaar number. UIDAI says the Aadhaar number cannot be worked out from a VID, and you can replace it with a new one. If an online service accepts a VID, that is often better than either a full or a masked copy.
Option 1: download a masked e-Aadhaar from UIDAI
This is the best version to share because it comes straight from UIDAI and carries its digital signature.
- Go to the myAadhaar portal and choose the e-Aadhaar download.
- Enter your Aadhaar number, enrolment number or VID, and verify with the OTP sent to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar.
- Select Do you want a masked Aadhaar? before downloading.
- Open the PDF with the usual e-Aadhaar password: the first four letters of your name in capitals followed by your year of birth. Our guide to the e-Aadhaar PDF password has UIDAI's examples if it doesn't open.
UIDAI notes that the masked option exists only in e-Aadhaar. You can't order a masked PVC card, so if you need a card-sized printout of the masked version, print it from this PDF. Our Aadhaar front and back on A4 tool can lay out the two sides at card size once you have them as images, and the Aadhaar printing guide walks through that.
The catch is the OTP. If the registered mobile number is no longer with you, you can't download anything until it is updated through UIDAI. That is when Option 2 helps.
Option 2: mask a copy you already have
Drawing a black rectangle over the number in a PDF editor or annotation app usually does nothing useful. The box sits on top, and the digits underneath can still be selected, copied or uncovered. Real redaction removes them.
Redact PDF works like this: pages you mark are redrawn as images (at 200 DPI) with the marked areas filled black, so the original text on those pages is not in the new file. Pages you don't mark are copied unchanged.
If you have the e-Aadhaar PDF
- The e-Aadhaar is password-protected. If the redaction tool won't accept it, first save an unprotected copy with Unlock PDF, using the password you already know.
- Add the PDF to Redact PDF and choose the preset Aadhaar, keep last 4 digits. It finds every Aadhaar number in the PDF's text and marks the first eight digits, leaving the last four visible.
- Go through every page. The number can appear in more than one place on the letter, and search only finds real text. Anything that is part of an image, such as a scanned section, needs a box drawn by hand.
- Press Redact and download
redacted.pdf. - Open the result and search it for the first four digits of your number. If nothing comes up and the boxes are where you expect them, the copy is ready.
If you have a photo or scan of the card
Redact PDF takes PDFs, so turn the photos into one first with Image to PDF. A photo has no text layer, so the Aadhaar preset will find nothing. Draw a box by hand over the first eight digits on each side, leaving the last four clear, then redact and download.
What to check before sending
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Every page, front and back | The number can appear on several parts of the letter |
| Last four digits still readable | That is the point of masking; the recipient may match them |
| Search the result for your digits | Confirms the text is gone, not hidden |
| Look at the QR code | A QR code can carry personal details that you can't see by looking at it |
On the QR code: boxing out the digits does nothing to it. If you don't want the QR code shared, you can mark it out too, but the recipient then loses a way to check the copy. Decide based on who you are sending it to.
Add a purpose line with a watermark
A masked copy can still be reused by someone who saves it. A short line across the page makes that harder. With Add Watermark, type something specific such as "For KYC with ABC Bank only, 12 Nov 2026", set the opacity around 20–40% so the details stay readable, and tilt it across the card area.
Two points from the tool's own notes. It does not accept password-protected PDFs, so use the redacted or unlocked copy. And a watermark is a deterrent, not security: anyone with a PDF editor can remove it.
Things that go wrong
The preset found nothing. The page is an image (a scan or a phone photo), so there is no text to search. Draw the boxes by hand.
The redacted page looks a little softer. Marked pages become 200 DPI images. That is what makes the redaction permanent, and it stays fine for reading and printing. Text on those pages can no longer be selected.
The recipient says the digital signature is invalid. Any edited copy of e-Aadhaar, including an unlocked, redacted or watermarked one, no longer verifies as UIDAI's signed file. If they need a signed document, give them the masked e-Aadhaar downloaded from UIDAI instead.
They say they need the full number. Then they need it. Ask whether a VID works, and if not, share the full copy only with that recipient.
Questions people ask
Is a self-masked copy the same as UIDAI's masked Aadhaar?
No. It looks similar, but only the file you download from myAadhaar with the masked option comes from UIDAI and carries its signature. A copy you redact yourself is a photocopy with some digits removed. Whether it is accepted is up to the person asking for it.
Which digits does masked Aadhaar hide?
The first eight. Only the last four digits of the 12-digit number stay visible.
Can I mask the number on my PVC card?
Not on the card itself. For a masked printout, use the masked e-Aadhaar or redact a scan of the card as described above.
Is my Aadhaar uploaded when I redact or watermark it here?
No. Redact PDF, Unlock PDF and Add Watermark all run in your browser, and the file stays on your device. PdfDady is independent and not affiliated with UIDAI.