A photocopy of Aadhaar is asked for everywhere, and most copies are shared with the full number showing. UIDAI itself offers a masked Aadhaar that shows only the last four digits, and that is all a hotel, a landlord or a courier needs. If you already have a copy as a PDF or a photo, you can mask it yourself in a minute, and the file never leaves your device.
What a masked Aadhaar looks like
A masked Aadhaar hides the first eight digits and shows the last four, like XXXX XXXX 1234. The name, photo, address and QR code stay. It is accepted as proof of identity wherever a copy of Aadhaar is, and it is the form UIDAI recommends for sharing.
Covering the digits with a black box in a photo editor is not enough for a PDF: the text is often still there underneath and can be selected or searched. A real redaction removes it.
1. Open the file in Redact
Open Redact PDF for a PDF copy, or Redact image for a photo or screenshot. The file opens in your browser and is not uploaded.
Redact looks for Aadhaar numbers on the page and suggests them. It checks each twelve-digit number against the pattern a real Aadhaar follows, so random numbers are not flagged.
2. Choose what to hide
- To hide the whole number, approve the suggestion.
- To keep the last four digits visible, as on an official masked Aadhaar, draw a box by hand over the first eight digits instead and leave the suggestion unapproved. The number appears in two places on most copies: the front and the tear-off slip; mask both.
- Look for other numbers while you are there: a mobile number, the enrolment number and the Virtual ID are also on many copies.
3. Export
Save the file. For a PDF, every page of the exported file is saved as a picture with the marked areas removed, so the hidden digits cannot be recovered by selecting text or deleting a box. The rest of the text is no longer selectable either. For a photo, the export is a PNG with the pixels replaced.
Keep the unmasked original somewhere safe and share only the masked copy.
Also worth knowing
- You can download a masked Aadhaar from the official UIDAI site, which is the simplest option when you have your registered mobile number to hand.
- A Virtual ID (VID) can be used instead of the Aadhaar number for authentication and changes when you want it to.
- Redact also recognises PAN numbers, card numbers, emails and phone numbers, which is useful for a bank statement or a rental agreement.
Questions, answered
- Is a black box on a photo enough?
- For a photo, yes, as long as the pixels are replaced rather than a layer placed on top, which is what Redact image does. For a PDF, no: a drawn box leaves the text underneath. Redact PDF removes it.
- Does it find the number automatically?
- Yes. Redact suggests Aadhaar numbers it finds on the page and checks each against the pattern a real number follows. Scanned copies without a text layer are searched by reading the image first.
- Is my Aadhaar uploaded to a server?
- No. Detection and export run inside your browser. There is no upload and nothing to delete afterwards.
- Can I mask Aadhaar on my phone?
- Yes. Open Redact image in Chrome or Safari on your phone and choose the photo from your gallery.