How to mask Aadhaar on your phone

The short answer

Open Mask Aadhaar in your phone's browser, choose a photo of your card or your e-Aadhaar PDF, and download the masked copy. The first 8 digits, the VID and the QR code are covered automatically. There's no app to install, and the file stays on your phone.

Step by step

1. Open blurdocument.com/mask-aadhaar in Chrome, Safari or any modern mobile browser.
2. Tap to add a file. Your phone will offer the camera, your photos or your files, depending on the phone.
3. Pick the front of the card, the back, or both. A sideways or upside-down photo is fine: it's straightened when the text is read.
4. Check the highlighted areas. The first 8 digits are covered, the last 4 stay visible. Tick extra fields such as date of birth, phone or address if you want them hidden.
5. Use the + zoom button to check every edge of the card, then tap download. Share the downloaded file from your phone's downloads or files.

If you'd rather not keep the original photo, delete it from your gallery afterwards. Many phones move deleted photos to a recently deleted folder for a while, so clear that too.

Using the e-Aadhaar PDF instead

The e-Aadhaar PDF is often cleaner than a photo. It's password-protected: the password is the first 4 letters of your name in capitals followed by your year of birth. Blur Document asks for it when you open the file, and the password is used only in your browser. More detail in e-Aadhaar PDF password.

The exported copy is a fresh PDF with no password, rebuilt from pixels, so the hidden digits aren't in the file at all.

Tips for a good photo

• Flat and well lit. Lay the card on a dark surface and avoid the glare from overhead lights.
• Fill the frame. A small card in a big photo reads less reliably. Crop if needed.
• One card per photo. It's easier to check that everything is covered.
• Don't use a cropped screenshot of a chat. Chat apps often compress images, which makes small digits harder to detect.

Always look at the result before sending. If a digit or the QR code is still visible, drag a box over it with your finger.

Why mask in the first place, and when a full number is needed: How to mask your Aadhaar card.