What is the password for the e-Aadhaar PDF?
The password is the first four letters of your name, as written on your Aadhaar, in capital letters, followed by your year of birth. Priya Nair born in 1992 types PRIY1992.
Remove a passwordFree. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Remove a password and add the e-Aadhaar PDF.
- Type the password in the box under the file, four capital letters of your name and your year of birth, and tap Unlock.
- Press Unlock it to make a copy that opens without a password.
- Save the unlocked copy, and keep the original too.
If the password does not work
Check the letters are capitals, and that you used the name exactly as it appears on the Aadhaar, not a nickname or the spelling on another document. The year is four digits, the year only, not the full date of birth.
Think before you unlock it
The password is there because the file carries your Aadhaar number, address and photo. An unlocked copy opens for anyone who gets hold of it. If someone only needs proof of identity, consider sending a copy with the number hidden: see how to hide the Aadhaar number.
The e-Aadhaar is also digitally signed by UIDAI. Any changed copy, an unlocked one included, no longer passes that signature check in a PDF reader. Where an office verifies the signature, give them the original file and the password instead.
After unlocking
A portal that refuses a locked PDF will usually take the unlocked one. If it also has a size limit, Compress can bring the file under 100 KB or 200 KB. To print the card part on its own page, see Aadhaar front and back on one page.
Names with initials, or short names
Initials, full stops and spaces are where most people get stuck. Use the name exactly as it is printed on your Aadhaar, in capitals. If your name starts with an initial, or is shorter than four letters, UIDAI’s own help pages give worked examples for names like these; check there rather than guessing, since a wrong try only costs a moment, but many wrong tries are frustrating.
Which file to give a portal or office
Offices differ. Some want the e-Aadhaar exactly as downloaded, with its password, because they check UIDAI’s signature. Others refuse any locked PDF and need an unlocked copy. Some accept, or prefer, a masked Aadhaar. The upload page or the office’s instructions usually say which; when they do not, keep all three ready: the original, an unlocked copy, and a masked one.
A worked example
Ravi Kumar, born in 1988, downloads his e-Aadhaar for a rental agreement. He opens Remove a password, adds the file, types RAVI1988 in the box under it and taps Unlock. He presses Unlock it and saves the copy. Because the landlord only needs proof of identity, he then opens Remove areas with that copy and masks the first eight digits before sending it.
Questions people ask
Can this find the password for me?
No. It unlocks a file only with the password you type. It does not guess or break passwords.
Is my Aadhaar uploaded when I unlock it?
No. The file is opened and unlocked in your browser, on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere, and the password is never stored.
Do I have to unlock it to open it?
No. Any PDF reader opens it with the password. Unlock it only when a website or office needs a copy without one.
It says the password is wrong. What now?
Type it again slowly: four characters of your name in capitals and four digits for the year. If it still fails, download the e-Aadhaar again from UIDAI’s site and try with the fresh file.
Can I change the e-Aadhaar password?
No, it is set by UIDAI. You can save an unlocked copy here, or lock a copy with a password of your own using Add a password.
Your file stays on your device. Foolscap does the work inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there is nothing for anyone to keep. How you can check