Mask your Aadhaar or PAN number before you share it
Hotels, landlords, gyms, SIM shops and courier agents ask for "a copy of Aadhaar" when all they need is your name and photo. Sharing the full number is unnecessary, and UIDAI itself recommends a masked copy. PDFkey lets you draw black boxes over whatever should stay private — the first eight Aadhaar digits, the QR code, a PAN number or date of birth — and saves a new image or PDF where those areas are replaced by solid black pixels, not a layer that can be removed.
Made for
- Aadhaar card photos and e-Aadhaar PDFs (front and back)
- PAN card copies for KYC where the number is not required
- ID copies for hotel check-in, rental agreements and courier KYC
- Any document where you want to hide an account number or address
How it works
- For Aadhaar, cover the first eight digits and leave the last four — that is the common masked format.
- The number appears on the front and on the back of the card; mask both.
- Older printed Aadhaar cards have a QR code that can contain your details — cover it too unless the receiver scans it.
- The masked copy is rebuilt from pixels, so hidden digits cannot be recovered by selecting text or removing a layer.
- If a form legally needs your full number, give the full number — masking is for everything else.
Why doing this in your browser matters
Most "masking" done on phones is a black shape drawn in a markup app over a PDF, which often leaves the original text underneath: select it, copy it, and the number is back. PDFkey renders each page to an image, paints the black boxes into the pixels, and builds a fresh JPEG or PDF from that — there is no text layer left to reveal. And because it runs in your browser, the unmasked card is never uploaded to anyone just so it can be masked.
How to do it
- Select a photo of the card or the PDF.
- Drag a box over each part to hide — the first eight digits, the QR code — on every page. Use Undo if a box is off.
- Press Save masked copy and check the preview before you share it.
Questions
Is a masked Aadhaar accepted?
For most identity checks — hotels, rentals, SIM and courier KYC — a masked copy is widely accepted. Where a law or form requires the full number, the organisation will say so.
Can someone remove the black boxes?
No. The output is rebuilt from the page image with the boxes painted in, so the hidden pixels and any underlying text are gone.
Can I download a masked Aadhaar from UIDAI instead?
Yes — the official download offers a masked version. PDFkey is for when you only have a photo or the regular copy.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. Drag with your finger to draw each box; pinch-zoom the page if the card is small.
Is the card uploaded?
No. It is rendered and masked inside this browser tab and never sent anywhere.
Also useful
PDFkey is independent and not affiliated with UIDAI, the Income Tax Department, any bank or employer. Use it only on documents you own or are authorised to handle.