Masked Aadhaar Card Download: A Comprehensive Guide

Neha Gupta

Author

Updated: 22-02-2025 at 6:29 AM

Masked Aadhaar Card Download: A Comprehensive Guide

The digital landscape today inspires awe and wonder but it doesn’t come without certain pitfalls of its own, certain severe ones for that matter. In 2023, 27 Million Indian adults had fallen prey to identity theft. 2023 saw an abysmal increase of 305% in forced verifications when compared to the previous year. The Masked Aadhar Card download feature was introduced by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in 2018.

Aspect	Details
Year of Introduction	2018
Introductory body	Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Purpose	Protect sensitive information and reduce risk during identify verification
How	Out of the 12 digit Aadhaar number, the first 8 are masked. Only the last 4 digits are visible
Usage	KYC (Know Your Customer) and other identity verification processes have been made safer by not exposing the full Aadhaar number
Accessibility	Masked Aadhaar Card download can be done on the UIDAI Portal as a PDF file
Security Features	Contains digital signature of the UIDAI to ensure authenticity and mitigate risks of faking
Benefits	Curbs the risk of identity theft and misuse of Aadhaar information, ensures privacy of cardholder
Limitations	Is not accepted in certain scenarios like SIM Card purchases, government welfare schemes, and banking and financial services

What Is Masked Aadhaar Card?

Masked Aadhaar is a version of the regular Aadhaar card, whereas suggested by the name, the first 8 digits of the 12-digit Aadhaar number are hidden (aka masked). The last four digits are visible and used for identification purposes. Crossing out the first 8 digits makes sure that the information remains safe and cannot be tampered with even if the card is lost or misplaced.

At the same time, however, the last four digits are just about enough to carry out the most basic identity verification work and do not render the card useless. According to UIDAI compliance standards, a Masked Aadhaar Card download will be valid everywhere that accepts Aadhaar as proof of identity, except for government subsidies, full KYC banking services, SIM card purchases, passport and visa applications and income tax filings.

Use Of A Masked Aadhaar Card

Identity Verification for General Purposes

Masked Aadhaar downloaded online is readily accepted for basic identity verification where sharing sensitive data may be a concern and the full Aadhaar number isn’t legally required either. For example renting a hotel, ID verification at non-financial organisations, or even entering gated communities like an exclusive spa or maybe even a protected residential complex.

KYC (Know Your Customer) for Non-Financial Services

Most companies in the sector of e-commerce, telecom, and non-banking services are not legally mandated by Indian law to record the full Aadhaar number of their customers. In such cases, a Masked Aadhaar Card download is a perfectly acceptable form of KYC.

Verification in Employment Processes

Employee verification during the hiring at government and corporate organisations requires only a basic identity proof. Employees can go ahead with a Masked Aadhaar download online, they are well within their rights to use those instead of a regular Aadhaar card.

Travel and Hotel Check-Ins

Hotels and Air Bnbs often accept Masked Aadhaar as credible ID verification. Travel activities like entry into hiking trails and adventure sports too don’t usually require a full KYC process.

Educational Institutions

And finally, Masked Aadhaar Card downloads are also popular among students filling admission forms for various educational institutions. Most schools and universities don’t ask for full Aadhaar details until the student has already arrived at campus.

Download Masked Aadhaar Online

Through UIDAI Portal

Visit the UIDAI Portal and go to My Aadhaar. Hit download and enter the 12-digit Aadhaar number. There will be an option for “I want a masked Aadhaar”, check the box and proceed with the captcha and request OTP. Upon verification, you can download your Masked Aadhaar as a PDF. This PDF will be password-protected (first four letters of your name in CAPITALS and then followed by your birth year)

Via Digilocker

Log in/Register on Digilocker. Visit the Issued Documents section and search for an Aadhaar Card. Select UIDAI as the partner organisation. Enter your Aadhaar number and verify using OTP. Once done you shall be able to access your Masked Aadhar Card download in your Digilocker account.

Using mAadhaar App

Download the mAadhaar app from Google Play or App Store. Open the app and set a 4-digit security code. Create your Aadhaar profile by inputting your Aadhaar number or scanning your Aadhaar QR code. Verify the OTP and access your Masked Aadhaar download online within the app under My Aadhaar.

Difference Between Regular And Masked Aadhaar Cards

Apart from the obvious differences that we have already talked about, there are two other defining contrasts between the two.

Aadhar	Masked Aadhar
Regular Aadhaar is available both in physical and PDF format.	Masked Aadhaar Cards can only be downloaded in the of format a PDF file.
A regular Aadhaar is not password protected unless it is downloaded as an e-Aadhaar.	A Masked Aadhaar Card is always encrypted. The user will need to put in the first four letters of your name in capitals, followed by their full birth year.

What Is Virtual ID (VID)?

Along with the Masked Aadhaar, in 2018 UIDAI launched the Virtual ID (VID). It is a temporary, 16-digit, revocable identifier that is mapped to the existing Aadhaar number. What it essentially does is, allow users to authenticate and access various services without revealing their Aadhaar number, significantly reducing the risk of data leaks and misuse.

Conclusion

More and more people using Masked Aadhaar Card downloads online enhances privacy. But there’s more, Masked Aadhaar cards could be pathbreaking contenders on the road towards data minimisation. Limited data, limited exposure, and context-appropriate - a new way of dealing with collaborative citizen data.

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