Open a photo or scan of your Aadhaar card or letter, drag a box over the first 8 digits of the number wherever it is printed, and download the copy: only the last 4 digits stay readable, as on UIDAI's masked e-Aadhaar. Nothing is uploaded, and the boxes are burnt into the saved file.
How to mask your Aadhaar number on a copy
- Choose a photo or scan of your Aadhaar card, PVC card or letter. A photo taken on a table is cropped to the card's edges and straightened for you; use Rotate if it is sideways.
- With Blur selected, drag a box over the first 8 digits of the 12-digit number, leaving the last 4 readable.
- Look for the number a second time: a card or letter can print it in more than one place, such as small under the ghost photo. Cover every place it appears.
- Download the JPG or PDF and open the saved file to check it. Your original stays unchanged.
What a masked Aadhaar shows
On UIDAI's masked e-Aadhaar, the first 8 digits of the Aadhaar number are masked and only the last 4 are visible. A copy you mask here works the same way: hide those 8 digits wherever the number is printed.
UIDAI offers the masked version only as an e-Aadhaar, when you download it from myAadhaar and choose a masked Aadhaar. The downloaded PDF is protected with a password: the first 4 letters of your name in capitals followed by your year of birth, such as SURE1990. This tool cannot open a password-protected PDF, so for the e-Aadhaar itself, download the masked version from UIDAI. Use the tool when what you have is a photo, a scan or a photocopy of the card or letter.
The QR code does not need covering for the number's sake. UIDAI says the Secure QR code holds only the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar number, with the name, address, gender, date of birth and photo. The e-Aadhaar, the Aadhaar letter and the PVC card are equally valid forms of Aadhaar.
When to mask, and when not to
UIDAI's own advice is ordinary care: use Aadhaar with the same diligence as any other identity document, and keep it off public platforms such as social media. A masked copy suits a recipient who only needs to see who you are. A service that must record or verify your full Aadhaar number can refuse a masked copy, so ask before you send one.
For a PAN card copy, ask the recipient which details they need. The PAN itself is usually the reason they asked, so hiding it defeats the copy; hide only what they say they do not need.
The saved boxes contain no hidden digits
Ordinary blur and pixelation keep traces of the image. This tool's Blur replaces the selected area with a texture made from the surrounding card, then burns that replacement into the exported pixels, so the downloaded copy has no layer with the original digits under it. A PDF it exports contains images: existing selectable text and form fields are not kept.
You can also compress the copy to the size a portal asks for. Processing happens on your device, and the copy carries none of the photo's location or camera details.
Common questions
How do I get a masked Aadhaar?
UIDAI offers it as an e-Aadhaar: download your e-Aadhaar from myAadhaar and choose the masked option. To mask a photo, scan or photocopy you already have, open it in this tool and cover the first 8 digits of the number.
Which digits does a masked Aadhaar hide?
The first 8 digits of the 12-digit Aadhaar number. Only the last 4 digits stay visible.
What is the password of the e-Aadhaar PDF?
The first 4 letters of your name in capitals followed by your year of birth, for example SURE1990. This tool cannot open the protected PDF; download the masked e-Aadhaar from UIDAI instead, or use a photo or scan of the card.
Is a masked Aadhaar valid?
UIDAI treats the e-Aadhaar, the letter and the PVC card as equally valid, and the masked e-Aadhaar is one of the e-Aadhaar's options. A copy you mask yourself is a copy: a service that needs your full number can refuse it.
Is my Aadhaar uploaded anywhere?
No. The copy is made in your browser, on your device. Once the page has loaded and the document is open, the tool keeps working offline.
