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Unlock PDF

Choose a protected PDF, enter its password and download a copy without protection. If the file opens but blocks printing or copying, you can unlock it without entering any password.

Files never leave your device

Drop a PDF here or click to choose one

Choose a protected PDF and enter its password.

How to remove a password from a PDF

  1. 1

    Choose the protected PDF

    Click Choose PDF or drag the file onto the page. The tool tells you right away if the file has no protection at all.

  2. 2

    Enter the password

    Type the password you use to open the document, such as the one the sender gave you. If the file opens without a password and only has restrictions, leave the field empty.

  3. 3

    Click Unlock PDF

    The pages are copied into a new document without encryption.

  4. 4

    Check and download

    The tool opens the copy without a password and compares page count, page size and selectable text with the original.

What this tool will not do

The tool does not guess or crack passwords. It removes protection only from a file whose password you know, or from one that already opens without a password. The pages go into a new document, so only simple details such as the title and author carry over, while bookmarks, attachments and form fields do not.

Open password and owner password

A PDF can have two kinds of password. Without the open password the document does not display at all, and there is nothing this tool can do. An owner password only restricts: the file opens, but printing, selecting text or editing stay greyed out. If you want to unlock a PDF for printing or editing, this is usually the case, and you just choose the file here without typing a password.

A common situation is a bank statement, contract or payslip that arrives with a password, and you want to file it or forward it without giving the password to everyone. Keep in mind that the unlocked copy stays unprotected for good. Before you send sensitive content, protect it again with Password protect PDF.

When unlocking will not help

If you do not know the open password, ask the sender or look it up in your password manager. Files encrypted with a certificate instead of a password, or protected by a rights management (DRM) system, will not open here either. Only the software they were issued for can unlock them.

If you need working form fields, bookmarks or attachments, ask the sender for an unprotected version or remove the protection in the program where it was set. Text, images and page layout carry over to the copy unchanged.

Privacy

All processing takes place in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded to a server, and no data remains after you close the page.

FAQ

Is my password sent to a server?
No. The password is used only to decrypt the file in your browser, and it stays on your device together with the document. It is not sent to a server while the tool works or afterwards.

Does the tool crack passwords?
No. If the file needs a password to open, you have to know it. The tool does not guess or break passwords, so ask the sender for the password or look it up in your password manager.

Why does the file open without a password?
The file may have only an owner password. That does not stop anyone from opening the file, it only restricts printing, copying or editing. You can remove such restrictions here without typing a password: choose the file and download the unlocked copy.

What if the PDF is not protected?
The tool checks this as soon as you choose the file and tells you there is nothing to unlock. The file stays as it is and nothing is downloaded, so you do not end up with a needless copy.

What happens if I enter the wrong password?
The tool tells you that the password did not open the PDF, and you can type it again. There is no limit on attempts, and the original file on your device is not changed or locked.

Will quality and text be preserved?
Yes. Page content is not re-rendered or recompressed, because text, images and fonts are copied into the new document as they are. Before download, the tool compares page count, page dimensions and selectable text with the original. A scan without an OCR text layer still will not be searchable.

What will be missing from the unlocked copy?
The pages are copied into a new document, so bookmarks, attachments and working form fields do not come along. Simple document details such as the title and author are carried over. If you need the form or the attachments, ask the sender for an unprotected version.

Does unlocking change the original file?
No. You download a separate unlocked copy, and the source file on your device stays unchanged. The copy has no protection at all, so protect it again with Password protect PDF before you send sensitive content.

Is unlocking free and without a watermark?
Yes. The tool is free, needs no sign-up, adds no watermark and has no usage limit. The unlocked file contains only the content of the original document, and the tool adds nothing of its own.

How do I unlock a PDF for printing or copying?
If the file opens without a password but will not let you print, copy or edit, it has only an owner password. Choose it here and download the unlocked copy without typing a password. If the document does not open at all without a password, you need to know it, because the tool does not guess passwords.

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