If you’re an Indian citizen, then there’s a good chance you’ve got an Aadhaar card. Reports from 2021 showed that 99% of adults in India had an Aadhaar card, showing widespread adoption of this identification program.
And if you’ve got an Aadhaar card, then you’re eligible to get an e-Aadhaar card. While the steps are simple (and free), you need to know your Aadhaar password to access the digital file.
In this quick guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the Aadhaar download password process and how you can easily find and use your Aadhaar password to help protect your identity.
Let’s get started!
What Is an e-Aadhaar Card?
The e-Aadhaar card is an identity document that is used to replace the traditional paper-based ID card in India. It contains an individual’s photograph, signature, and other biometric information such as fingerprint or iris scan.
It’s a portable, digital version of your physical Aadhaar card that you can use for various purposes, such as authenticating yourself at e-KYC centres, eSigning documents, or even making payments.
To download your E-Aadhaar, you will need to enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number or 16-digit Virtual ID number, along with your full name and pin code.
Once you have entered all the required information, you will be able to download and print your e-Aadhaar. You can also choose to keep it stored on your mobile device or computer for future use.
Benefits of an e-Aadhaar Card
In today’s fast-paced world, it can be difficult to keep track of important documents like ID cards. It’s easy to misplace a physical card, and if it’s lost or stolen, it can be a hassle to replace.
An e-Aadhaar card is a digital version of your regular Aadhaar card that you can access and store on a smartphone or other device. In this sense, there are many benefits to having an e-Aadhaar card.
For one, it’s much more difficult to lose track of an e-Aadhaar card than a physical card. If a phone is lost or stolen, you can deactivate your e-Aadhaar card so that you can essentially lock access to it to prevent anybody from getting your details.
Additionally, e-Aadhaar cards are more secure than physical cards because they are password protected. We’ll walk you through how to access your e-Aadhaar card below, but this definitely adds an extra layer of security.
Finally, e-Aadhaar cards are more convenient than physical cards because you can access them from anywhere with an internet connection. For these reasons, e-Aadhaar cards are becoming increasingly popular as a convenient and secure way to store ID information in India.
Did You Know :
As of now 96 crore bank accounts out of total 110 crore accounts have been linked to Aadhaar.
Why Your e-Aadhaar Card is Password Protected
If you can walk around with an Aadhaar card in your wallet or purse without a password then why is your e-Aadhaar card password protected? It’s a good question and one that we get asked a lot. There are actually several reasons why your e-Aadhaar card is password protected.
First and foremost, it helps to protect your identity. By password protecting your e-Aadhaar card, you help to ensure that only you can access your personal information. Additionally, password protection helps to prevent unauthorized use of your e-Aadhaar card.
Because you can use the digital card to do things like e-Sign documents and even pay your taxes, it’s important that whenever someone goes to use an e-Aadhaar card they’re able to prove that they are who they say they are.
When it comes down to it, by keeping your e-Aadhaar card password private and safe, you can help to ensure that your personal information remains secure.
How to Get an e-Aadhaar Password
It’s important to note that instead of setting your password, the Indian government has a special Aadhar password format that they use. This makes it easy as you don’t have to solicit a password for your e-Aadhaar card online or risk forgetting the password.
So, if you need to remember your Aadhaar card password online, follow this format:
- Use the first four letters of your name in capital letters
- Then use your birth year
For example, if your first name is Pranav and you were born in 1990 then your password would be PRAN1990. It’s important to note that there are online sources that say it is the first three letters of your name. While this might have been the case in the past, the government currently notes that the password format begins with the first four letters of your name.
Note that you will need this password to download the PDF file that the government sends you to use as an e-Aadhaar card. However, if you have your physical card on you and you go to file your taxes, for example, you can also show your physical card. Either way, it’s helpful to remember your Aadhaar open password to open the file digitally if you ever need to.
How to Download Your e-Aadhaar Card
Ready to download your e-Aadhaar card? The steps are simple once you have your e-Aadhaar password memorised according to the information above.
First, you will need to go to the e-Aadhaar website. You can find this by Googling the phrase “UIDAI website.” Once you are on their homepage, you will need to tap on “My Aadhaar” in the top menu.
After you click, it will show you a dropdown menu. Click on “Download Aadhaar” then wait for the server to take you to that page.
Now, you will have to enter your personal information. This includes your 12-digit UID number. If you don’t know your 12-digit UID number then you will need to contact the UIDAI and request your number. You can visit an Aadhaar card centre to recover this number as well.
Once you’ve entered your information you will type in the captcha and then you will need to confirm the request by completing an OTP verification. They will send a 6-digit OTP to the mobile number you have registered on file.
Once you receive that code you will enter it into the online platform and the page should refresh. If you’ve successfully entered the code then you will see the option to “Verify and Download.” Click on that button to download your file.
How to Open Your e-Aadhaar PDF File
Now that you’ve downloaded the file you will have to open it. Remember, it’s password protected. You can open this with your PIN code or your password:
- Your PIN code is registered to the postal address you provided when you registered for your Aadhaar card
- Your password is the first four letters of your name (in capital letters) followed by your birth year
What to do if your Aadhaar password isn’t working? Most of the time, if it’s not working and you’re using your password the issue is that you didn’t type the letters of your name in all capital letters.
Can You Change Your e-Aadhaar Card Password?
If you would like to then you can update your e-Aadhaar card password online. To do so, you can simply visit the same main UIDAI website mentioned above. You will follow the same instructions to get to the main page, then click “Reset Password.”
That will take you to a page where you’re able to enter your details to select a new password. Once you hit save you should be able to use that new password.
However, we recommend that if you update your Aadhaar card password you do the following as well:
- Save your new password someplace where nobody else can access it but where you will be able to easily access it if you forget it
- Don’t use a password that you use for other online accounts
- Don’t use a password that somebody might be able to guess
Overall, changing your Aadhaar card password is simple. However, be sure that you select a new password that is safe and secure.
What Else to Know About Your Aadhaar Password
Still have questions about the Aadhar download password process or how to get Aadhar open password access?
Most of the time, where people fail is that they try to download their password without a registered phone number. You will not be able to download your card if your phone number isn’t currently registered with the UIDAI.
Another common question we see a lot of is regarding the number of times you can download your digital Aadhaar card. You can download this e-card as many times as you need to. However, you likely only need to download it once. Then, you can access it with your PIN or password easily and even print it out.
Learn More About How to Use Your Aadhaar Card
Aside from learning about how to access and use your Aadhaar password, it’s helpful to understand how to effectively use your Aadhaar card as part of everyday life in India.
From understanding how to update your Aadhaar in EFPO to linking your number to your bank account, we’ve got you covered. Click here to read through all of our Aadhaar articles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Aadhar password consists of first four letters of name in Capital followed by the Year of Birth (YYYY).
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in its statement states that Aadhaar details can be used to conduct fraudulent activities. Hence, one should take precaution while sharing Aadhaar details..
The UIDAI does not collect any information about your bank accounts.
One cannot hack bank accounts using Aadhar card number.
The UIDAI is the only authority that is assigned to generate a 12-digit UID number to every citizen of India.
Read more about Smart Aadhaar Card.
