How to Download Your Aadhaar Card on Your Phone

To download your Aadhaar on a phone, use the official uidai.gov.in website or the mAadhaar app, enter your Aadhaar number, verify with the OTP sent to your registered mobile, and download the e-Aadhaar PDF, which opens with a password made of the first four letters of your name in capitals plus your birth year.

The e-Aadhaar is the digital copy of your Aadhaar issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India, or UIDAI. It is password-protected and digitally signed, and UIDAI treats it as equally valid to the printed letter. This guide sticks to the official process only, with no third-party shortcuts, because Aadhaar is a common target for fraud.

What you need first

The whole process depends on one thing: access to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar. The OTP goes only to that number, and there is no way around it.

1. Your 12-digit Aadhaar number, or your enrolment ID slip if you are yet to receive the number.
2. The phone with the SIM registered against your Aadhaar record.
3. A stable internet connection and enough storage for a small PDF file.

If your registered number has changed or you no longer have that SIM, you cannot download online until you update your mobile number at an Aadhaar enrolment or update centre. There is no OTP workaround, and any site or app claiming to bypass this should be treated as a scam and avoided.

Download using the mAadhaar app

The mAadhaar app is UIDAI own smartphone app, so it is the safest mobile route and keeps your Aadhaar profile handy for future use.

1. Install mAadhaar only from the official app store, confirming the publisher is UIDAI before you tap install.
2. Register your Aadhaar profile by entering your number and verifying the OTP sent to your registered mobile.
3. Set the app password or PIN when prompted, which protects the profile on your device.
4. Open your profile and choose the option to download or share the e-Aadhaar PDF.

Once your profile is set up in mAadhaar, you can also generate a masked Aadhaar and use offline verification features, all from the same app.

Download from the UIDAI website

If you prefer a browser, the website route works the same way and produces the same signed PDF.

1. Open uidai.gov.in and go to the download or My Aadhaar section.
2. Enter your Aadhaar or enrolment number and complete the on-screen security check.
3. Request and enter the OTP sent to your registered mobile.
4. Download the e-Aadhaar PDF to your phone.

Both routes are official, so choose whichever is convenient. The security, the digital signature and the legal validity are identical.

Opening the password-protected PDF

The downloaded file will not open without a password, and UIDAI uses one fixed format for everyone. The password is the first four letters of your name exactly as printed on Aadhaar, in capital letters, followed by your four-digit year of birth. The examples below show how it works.

Match the spelling and capitalisation precisely, or the file will refuse to open. If your name on Aadhaar has a prefix or initials, use the letters exactly as they appear on the card, since the password is generated from the printed name, not the name you usually write.

Checking the document is genuine

The e-Aadhaar carries a digital signature that proves it came from UIDAI and has not been altered. When you open the PDF in a reader that supports signatures, you may see a validation mark. This is why a downloaded e-Aadhaar is trusted the same as the printed letter: the signature, not the paper, is what makes it authentic. If the signature shows as not verified, it is usually because your PDF reader has not yet trusted the certificate, not because the document is fake.

Does the e-Aadhaar expire

The e-Aadhaar itself does not carry an expiry date, and once downloaded it stays valid. However, the details it shows reflect your record at the time of download, so if you update your address, name or photo at an Aadhaar centre, download a fresh copy afterwards so it shows the latest information. There is no limit on how many times you can download it, and there is no charge, so it is fine to fetch a new copy whenever an office needs a recent one.

Staying safe from fakes

Aadhaar is a prime target for fake apps and phishing sites that promise instant downloads. Install only from official sources, and before adding any government-related app it is wise to tell if an app is safe before you install by checking the developer name, the store listing and the reviews. Never enter your Aadhaar number or OTP on a site you reached through a random link, an SMS or an advertisement, and never share the OTP with anyone who calls you claiming to be from UIDAI or your bank.

Using and sharing your e-Aadhaar

Once downloaded, you can present the PDF wherever Aadhaar is accepted. If an office needs a paper copy, you can print it, and if you have a physical document to submit alongside it, you may find it useful to scan documents with your phone into clean, readable PDFs. When you share Aadhaar for identity or address proof, consider using the masked version where it is accepted, which hides the first eight digits and shows only the last four. Because Aadhaar links to many services including payments, treat the number carefully; the same caution you apply to money apps, such as our notes on how to use Google Pay safely, applies to how you store and share your Aadhaar file. With the official app or website and your registered mobile in hand, downloading a valid e-Aadhaar to your phone is a quick, standard process you can repeat whenever you need a fresh copy.