Want Your Aadhaar Card to be More Secure? Use a Masked Aadhaar; How to Download

Aadhaar Update: Aadhaar, a 12-digit unique ID issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has become one of the most significant documents an Indian can hold. It is required to carry out a number of operations including opening a bank account or investing in a government scheme. This means that one needs to keep their Aadhaar handy at all times, which can be a bit risky given the number of frauds that have been committed by using this number.

To overcome this risk, the UIDAI has issued the option of a masked Aadhaar ID’ or Virtual ID (VID. As the name suggests, a masked Aadhaar is essentially a 12-digit ID number that can be shared without revealing anything important about your personal information.

What is a Masked Aadhaar?

“Mask Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar. Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing of first eight digits of Aadhaar number with some characters like “xxxx-xxxx” while only last four digits of the Aadhaar Number are visible,” says the UIDAI website. Therefore, it is a legal way to download e-copies of your Aadhaar without the number being seen.

“Masked Aadhaar can be used for eKYC where sharing Aadhaar Number is not necessary. It only shows the last 4 digits of your Aadhaar. Select ‘Masked Aadhaar’ option while downloading your Aadhaar from: https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in,” the UIDAI had said on its Twitter handle.

How to Download the Masked Aadhaar

Step 1: Open the link – https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in/

Step 2: Enter your full 12-digit Aadhaar card number.

Step 3: Tick the option that reads – ‘I want a masked Aadhaar’.

Step 4: Next you need to input the Captcha verification code that will be provided to verify yourself.

Step 5: Click on the option ‘Send OTP’.

Step 6: Now, all that is left is for you to download the e-Aadhaar copy.

Step 7: Now, enter the OTP and click on “Download Aadhaar”

Now, you will be able to access your masked Aadhaar, which will be downloadable in the PDF format. However, it will be password protected. The Aadhaar letter password is a combination of the first four letters of your first name in capital letter, followed by the year of your birth in YYYY format. For example, if your name is Shyam Kumar and your birth year is 1987, then the password for your masked Aadhaar will be SHYA1987. You can use a masked Aadhaar in cases where the full Aadhaar number is not required, for example while doing e-KYC.

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