Masked Aadhaar Card – Benefits & Download Guide
A masked Aadhaar card looks almost the same as a normal Aadhaar card. The only difference is for safety: only the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar number are visible, and the first 8 digits are hidden as “XXXX XXXX”.
This small change makes masked Aadhaar much safer to share with hotels, cyber cafés, private offices, delivery staff, and during basic identity checks.
In this simple guide, you will clearly understand what masked Aadhaar is, why it is important, and how to download masked Aadhaar step by step.
What is Masked Aadhaar Card?
A Masked Aadhaar is a version of Aadhaar Card where your Aadhaar number is partially hidden to protect your privacy.
Example:
Normal Aadhaar number: 1234 5678 9012
Masked Aadhaar number: XXXX XXXX 9012
This feature was introduced by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to reduce Aadhaar misuse and improve data security.
Important Point
Masked Aadhaar is fully valid because it is officially issued by UIDAI and still shows:
- Name
- Photograph
- Date of Birth / Year of Birth
- Gender
- Address
- Secure QR Code
Only the Aadhaar number is partially hidden, everything else remains the same.
Download Masked Aadhaar from UIDAI (MyAadhaar Portal)
The easiest and safest way to download masked Aadhaar is through the official UIDAI portal.
What You Need
- Aadhaar number / Enrolment ID (EID) / Virtual ID (VID)
- Mobile number linked with Aadhaar (for OTP)
- Internet connection
- Visit MyAadhaar portal: myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in
- Click on Download Aadhaar
- Enter captcha and click Send OTP
- Enter the OTP received on your registered mobile number
- Select “Do you want a masked Aadhaar?”
- Click Download
Your masked Aadhaar PDF will be downloaded.
Note:
There is no limit on downloading masked Aadhaar. You can download it anytime as long as you receive OTP on your registered mobile number.
Password to Open Masked Aadhaar PDF
The masked Aadhaar PDF is password-protected.
Password Format
First 4 letters of your name (CAPITAL) + Year of Birth
Example:
Name: Rahul Kumar
Birth Year: 1998
Password: RAHU1998
Download Masked Aadhaar from DigiLocker
You can also download masked Aadhaar using DigiLocker https://www.digilocker.gov.in/, a government digital document platform.
- Open DigiLocker app or website: digilocker.gov.in
- Login using mobile number and OTP
- Go to Issued Documents
- Search for Aadhaar Card
- Click Download
- Choose format (PDF / XML / JSON)
Your Aadhaar will be saved securely in DigiLocker.
Download Masked Aadhaar Using UMANG App
UMANG App is an official government app https://web.umang.gov.in/ that provides Aadhaar services.
- Open UMANG app or website: web.umang.gov.in
- Register or login
- Search for Aadhaar
- Select Download Aadhaar
- Enter Aadhaar number and captcha
- Verify OTP
- Choose Masked Aadhaar (if option is shown)
- Download Aadhaar PDF
Masked Aadhaar Uses
Masked Aadhaar is now widely accepted where full Aadhaar number is not required.
You can use masked Aadhaar for:
- School or college verification
- Hotel check-ins
- Job applications
- Delivery verification
- Office entry and basic ID checks
- Some government benefit verification
For strict KYC, organisations may ask for extra verification.
Can Masked Aadhaar Be Used for KYC?
Yes, masked Aadhaar can be used for basic KYC, but for full or strict KYC, one of these methods may be required:
- Aadhaar QR code scan
- Offline Aadhaar XML verification
- Aadhaar-based eKYC (where allowed)
Important Thing to Know
Even though the Aadhaar number is hidden, the QR code on masked Aadhaar contains full Aadhaar details in encrypted form.
When scanned using official tools like:
- mAadhaar app
- UIDAI QR scanner
It reveals complete details securely and is accepted as official verification in many cases. If you want to protect your privacy and still use Aadhaar legally, masked Aadhaar is the best option. It is safe, valid, easy to download, and accepted almost everywhere.
