Masked Aadhaar: what to hide before you share a copy

By Aman, founder of FABX Labs · Updated 17 September 2026 · 4 min read

Most places that ask for your Aadhaar don't need the full number. What a masked Aadhaar is, what to cover on the front and back of the card, why a black box drawn on a PDF often doesn't hide anything, and how to mask it properly.

Hotels, landlords, couriers, gyms and SIM shops all ask for "a copy of your Aadhaar". A full copy hands over your complete Aadhaar number, photo, address and date of birth, often to someone who files it in an open drawer or a shared inbox.

For most of these checks, a masked copy is enough.

What a masked Aadhaar is

A masked Aadhaar is a copy with the first eight digits of the number hidden, and only the last four showing, like this: XXXX XXXX 1234. Your name, photo and address stay visible, which is usually what the other side actually needs to see.

UIDAI's own e-Aadhaar download offers a masked version. If you have only the regular copy or a photo of your card, you can mask it yourself.

What to cover

• The number on the front of the card. Cover the first eight digits.
• The number on the back as well. It is printed on both sides, and people often forget the second.
• The QR code on older printed cards, unless the person you're sending it to will scan it. The QR code can contain your details.
• Anything else you don't want to share, such as a phone number written on the copy.

If a form or a law genuinely needs your full number, give the full number. Masking is for everything else. Where the full number is required, the organisation will say so.

The mistake that exposes the number anyway

The common way to "mask" is to open the PDF in a markup app and draw a black rectangle over the digits. On many PDFs, the number is still there underneath. The black shape is a separate layer on top of the text. Anyone can select the text under the box, copy it, or remove the shape, and the number is back.

Proper masking burns the black boxes into the image. The page is turned into a picture, the boxes are painted into the pixels, and a new file is made from that picture. There is no text left underneath to recover.

How to mask your card

1. Open the masking tool and select a photo of the card or the e-Aadhaar PDF. If the PDF is locked, open it first with your password.
2. Drag a box over the first eight digits on the front. On a phone, drag with your finger, and pinch to zoom if the card is small.
3. Do the same on the back, and over the QR code if needed.
4. Save as JPEG or PDF. The boxes are now part of the image.
5. Open the saved file and zoom in. Only the last four digits should be visible.

The card is processed inside your browser and never uploaded, so you aren't sending your full Aadhaar to someone just to hide it.

Front and back on one page

Many offices want both sides of an ID card on one A4 sheet. Mask first, then put the masked front and back together, so the printout carries only the last four digits.

PAN cards

The same method works for a PAN card when you want to share a copy without the full PAN, for example with a courier or for an informal check. For tax filings, a bank or an employer, the full PAN is usually required.

Quick answers

Is a masked Aadhaar accepted?

For most identity checks, such as hotels, rentals, SIM cards and courier KYC, a masked copy is widely accepted. Where the full number is legally required, the organisation will tell you.

Can someone remove the black boxes?

Not from a properly masked file. It is rebuilt from the image with the boxes painted in, so the hidden digits and any text underneath are gone.

Should I write something on the copy?

Many people add a line like "For hotel check-in only, 12 March". It helps show what a copy was meant for if it turns up somewhere else.

Tools used in this guide

More guides

• UPSC: the photo, the triple signature and the 10-day rule
• Form 16, ITR-V and bank statements: finding the PDF password you already have
• SSC photo and signature rules, explained
• Split a large PDF to fit a 5 MB or 10 MB limit