How to hide your Aadhaar number before sharing it
Open Remove areas, add the Aadhaar PDF, drag across the first eight digits wherever the number appears, and press Remove them. The digits are taken out of the file, not just covered.
Remove areasFree. Nothing is uploaded.
How to do it
- Open Remove areas and add the Aadhaar PDF, typing its password if asked.
- Drag across the first eight digits of the number, leaving the last four showing.
- Do the same everywhere the number appears, on every page.
- Mark the QR code too if the person does not need it.
- Press Remove them and save the masked copy.
Why a black box is not enough
Drawing a black rectangle over a number in most editors only covers it. The digits are still in the file underneath, and anyone can copy them out. Remove areas redraws each marked page as a picture with the marked parts painted out, so the hidden digits are not in the file at all.
Finding every copy of the number
The number often appears more than once: on the letter, on the card part and sometimes in small print. Open Find and remove, tick Aadhaar numbers and tap Find and mark them to see every one marked. That marks the whole number; for a masked copy that keeps the last four digits, drag across the first eight by hand instead.
The QR code carries your details as well. Mark it if the copy is going somewhere that will not scan it.
Photos of the card, and the official route
If you have photos of the card, make them a PDF with Images to PDF first. A photo has no text to search, so drag across the number by hand. UIDAI also lets you download a masked Aadhaar from its own site, showing only the last four digits; either way, check the result before you send it. A light watermark saying what the copy is for adds another layer.
A worked example
A rental broker asks for your Aadhaar. Open Remove areas and add your e-Aadhaar, typing its password if it is still locked. On the letter part, drag across the first eight digits of the number, leaving the last four. Do the same on the card part at the bottom, and drag across the QR code. Press Remove them, open the result, and zoom in on each place to check that no digit escaped before you send it.
Where a masked copy is usually enough
A masked copy is widely accepted where only proof of identity or address is needed, such as hotels, rentals and many private services. Where an office must check the full number itself, or verify UIDAI’s signature, it will want the full e-Aadhaar instead. Ask which they need: whenever a masked copy is enough, it shares less of you.
Questions people ask
Can someone recover the hidden digits?
No. The marked page is replaced by a picture with those parts painted out; the digits are not in the file.
Is my Aadhaar uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser, on your device.
Will the rest of the page still work?
It looks the same, but a marked page becomes a picture, so its other words can no longer be selected or searched.
Does UIDAI’s signature still check out?
No. Any changed copy loses it. Where an office needs to verify the signature, it needs the original.
Can I mask the number on a printed Aadhaar?
Yes. Photograph it with Scan, then drag across the digits here. A scan has no text, so Find and remove cannot find them, but marking by hand works on any page.
Is this the same as UIDAI’s masked Aadhaar?
No. UIDAI’s masked Aadhaar is made and signed by UIDAI. A copy masked here is your own copy with digits removed, so it no longer carries UIDAI’s signature.
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