What is a masked Aadhaar? How to download it?

The UIDAI, in a press release dated on Friday (May 27), asked citizens to only share masked copies of their Aadhaar cards to prevent misuse.

"Do not share a photocopy of your Aadhaar with any organisation as it can be misused. Alternatively, please use a masked Aadhaar which displays only the last four digits of your Aadhaar number," the release said.

Less than 48 hours later, on Sunday (May 29), the Press Information Bureau (PIB) issued a statement retracting the earlier release, saying that it could be “misinterpreted”.

"UIDAI issued Aadhaar card holders are only advised to exercise normal prudence in using and sharing their UIDAI Aadhaar numbers," the government said.

Even though the government has retracted its earlier release, it's better to use masked Aadhaar when sharing photocopies. Just to make sure your data is safe.

We look at what is a masked Aadhar and how you can download it.

WHAT IS A MASKED AADHAR?

The masked Aadhaar option allows you to mask your Aadhaar number in your downloaded e-Aadhaar.

Masked Aadhaar number implies replacing the first eight digits of Aadhaar number with some characters like “xxxx-xxxx” while only the last four digits of the Aadhaar number will be visible.

If you are sharing the masked Aadhaar copy with someone, then only those organisations that have obtained a user licence from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) can use Aadhaar for establishing your identity.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD MASKED AADHAR

• Go to myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in website and click on the login option
• Enter your Aadhaar number, the captcha code and then click on ‘Send OTP’
• Yo will receive the OTP on your Aadhaar-linked  mobile phone number
• Enter the OTP in the required field and click on the login option
• Now go to the ‘Services’ section and click on ‘Download Aadhaar’
• Go to the ‘Review your Demographics Data’ section
• Click on ‘Do you want a masked Aadhaar?’ option and download the masked Aadhaar
• It will be downloadable in the PDF format, but the file will be password protected
• The password to open the file is a combination of the first four letters of your first name in block letters, followed by the year of your birth in YYYY format.