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Unlock a PDF (remove its password)

Remove the password and restrictions from a PDF that you own or are allowed to change, so you do not have to type the password every time. You need the password: it is checked, not guessed. The document is decrypted in your browser and saved again without protection; pages, text, images, links, bookmarks and forms are kept, nothing is re-rendered. Before the download, the new file is opened without a password and compared with the original.

Processed on your device. Your files are not uploaded.

Unlock only PDFs that you own or are allowed to change. You need the password: it is checked, never guessed or cracked. If the document restricts printing, copying or editing, only its owner (permissions) password can remove the protection.

or drop a PDF file here.

How to use Unlock PDF

  1. Select a protected PDF file or drag it into the box. It is checked for the kind of protection it has.
  2. Enter the password. If the PDF restricts printing, copying or editing, enter its owner (permissions) password.
  3. Select "Unlock PDF". The unlocked copy is checked against the original.
  4. Preview it if you like and download it. Your original file is not changed.

Good to know: limitations

  • You need the correct password; forgotten passwords cannot be recovered.
  • Removing restrictions requires the owner password when the PDF restricts printing, copying or editing.
  • Certificate-based encryption and other non-standard security handlers are not supported.
  • Digitally signed PDFs: saving the unlocked copy makes existing digital signatures invalid.
  • Very large PDFs may exceed the memory available on phones.

Frequently asked questions

Can you unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?

No. This tool only removes protection with the correct password. It does not guess, try lists of passwords or break the encryption.

Why is the password to open not enough for my PDF?

Some PDFs have two passwords: one to open the document and an owner (permissions) password that controls printing, copying and editing. If the document restricts any of these, removing the protection would lift the owner’s restrictions, so the owner password is needed. If nothing is restricted, the password to open is enough.

My PDF opens without a password but I cannot print or copy. Can I unlock it?

Yes, with the owner password. Such PDFs are encrypted with an empty password to open and an owner password that sets the restrictions. Opening it is not the same as being allowed to change those restrictions.

Which kinds of protection are supported?

The standard PDF password protection in all its versions: AES-256 (Acrobat 9 and later), AES-128 and the older RC4 encryption. Certificate-based encryption (for named recipients) and other special security handlers are recognised and reported, but cannot be removed here.

Does unlocking change my document?

Only the protection is removed. Pages, text, fonts, images, links, bookmarks, form fields and document information stay as they are; pages are not converted to images. Digital signatures become invalid, because the file is saved again.

Are my file and password uploaded?

No. The PDF is decrypted by your browser on your device. The file and the password are not sent to our servers, not stored and not logged.

Is it free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no daily limit. The site is financed by advertising.