How to Share an Aadhaar Copy Safely: Mask, Watermark and Password
Updated: 2026-10-18
Banks, mobile shops, landlords, hotels and employers often ask for a copy of your Aadhaar. Once a copy leaves your phone you cannot control where it goes. You can still make that copy much less useful to anyone who misuses it, with three simple steps that take two minutes.
Step 1: show only the last four digits
UIDAI offers a masked Aadhaar download in which the first eight digits of the number are hidden and only the last four are visible. In 2022 the government also reminded people to use normal care while sharing Aadhaar copies. Many places only need to see that you have an Aadhaar and your name, not the full number.
If you already have a full copy as a PDF, open the hide part of PDF tool, draw a box over the first eight digits on every page where they appear, including the back side, and apply. The tool rebuilds the pages so the hidden digits are truly removed and cannot be copied. For a photo of the card, use the hide part of photo tool and choose Black box.
Some services, such as certain bank or government processes, do require the full number. In that case skip this step but still do the next two.
Step 2: write the purpose on the copy
Add a watermark across every page with the receiver, the reason and the date, for example "Only for KYC with XYZ Bank, 17-10-2026". If the copy is misused for a different purpose, the watermark shows it was given for something else. Use the PDF watermark tool with the repeated pattern, which is very hard to remove.
Step 3: lock it if you send by email
If the copy goes by email or a chat that others can see, lock the PDF with a password using the protect PDF tool, and send the password by SMS or a phone call, not in the same message.
Other good habits
Do not download e-Aadhaar on shared computers in cafes or shops, and delete copies from shared phones after use. Keep the original UIDAI download in a safe place, because edited copies are not valid for official verification. Check your Aadhaar authentication history on the UIDAI website from time to time if you are worried about misuse.
A worked example
Ravi is renting a flat and the landlord asks for his Aadhaar on WhatsApp. Ravi opens his e-Aadhaar PDF with the e-Aadhaar tool, then in the hide part of PDF tool draws a box over the first eight digits on the front and the back and applies it. He adds a watermark "Only for rent agreement with Mr Sharma, 17-10-2026" across both pages and sends the file. If the copy ever turns up somewhere else, the purpose written on it shows it was never meant for that.
What a masked copy cannot do
A masked or watermarked copy is a picture of your details, not a way to stop identity checks that use OTP or biometrics. Never share the OTP that comes to your phone with anyone who calls or messages you, and lock your Aadhaar biometrics from the UIDAI website or app if you do not use them.
The same steps for PAN, bank and other documents
The habit is useful beyond Aadhaar. When you send a PAN card, cancelled cheque, passbook or salary slip, hide what the receiver does not need, such as the full account number except the last four digits, add a watermark with the purpose and date, and lock the file if it goes by email. For photos of cards, the hide part of photo tool and the photo watermark tool do the same job as their PDF versions. Keep a small folder of ready, marked copies only if you send the same document to the same kind of receiver often, and delete old marked copies when their purpose is over, so an old copy is not reused by mistake.
Private by design
All three steps happen inside your browser on PDFPixo. Your Aadhaar is never uploaded to our server.
Frequently asked questions
- Is masked Aadhaar valid?
- UIDAI provides it for download, and many places accept it. Some services need the full number; ask the receiver.
- How do I hide my Aadhaar number in a PDF?
- Use the hide part of PDF tool, draw a box over the first eight digits and apply.
- Can the hidden digits be recovered?
- No. The pages are rebuilt without them.
- What should I write in the watermark?
- The receiver, the purpose and the date.
- Is my Aadhaar uploaded?
- No. Everything happens in your browser.