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Local file processing

Unlock PDF

Remove the password or the printing and copying restrictions from PDFs you have the password for. The password and the file never leave your device; everything else in the document stays exactly as it was.

No files uploaded to a server
  • Remove a password or print and copy restrictions
  • Preview before downloading
How it works

How to remove a password from a PDF

  1. Add the protected PDF, or several. Each row says whether the file needs a password or merely blocks printing, copying or editing.
  2. Type the password the file opens with. Files that open without a password are unlocked as they are — nothing to type.
  3. Click Unlock, then download the copy or send it to Compress PDF, Merge PDF, Split & Organize or Protect PDF for a new password.
Practice with a document you can safely change

Download the synthetic four-page report. In Protect PDF, choose Password to open, type and repeat practice-only, then protect it. This public password is for practice, not a private document.

Add the protected copy here, enter practice-only and unlock it. Download and open the result: it should no longer ask for a password, and the cover, Checklist, Schedule and Diagram should all remain. Keep the original protected file if you need a protected copy.

Passwords, restrictions, and what unlocking changes

A PDF can be protected in two ways, and both are removed here. An open password (the user password) encrypts the whole file; a viewer asks for it before showing anything. Restrictions (set with an owner password) leave the file readable but tell viewers to disable printing, copying, editing or commenting. A file can have either, or both. Restrictions on their own use an empty open password, which is why such a file opens without asking — and why this tool can lift them without asking for anything.

What the unlocked copy contains

The document is decrypted in memory and saved again. Pages are not copied into a new file and forms are not flattened, so bookmarks, internal links, comments, editable fields and the document's title and author survive. The result has no encryption dictionary at all: it is an ordinary PDF that opens in every viewer and can be processed by tools that need an unencrypted source, such as Merge PDF. Some tools, including Fill PDF Forms, Watermark PDF, Add Page Numbers and PDF to Image, can open supported protected inputs directly with their password.

What it cannot do

It cannot open a file whose password you do not know. There is no guessing, dictionary or brute-force step, and there will not be one. Digitally signed documents are refused because re-saving would invalidate the signature. This tool also refuses empty signature fields and XFA forms; use a standard copy without those fields. Certificate-encrypted PDFs (opened with a digital ID rather than a password) are not supported either.

Frequently asked questions

Useful details

7 answers
Is my password or my PDF uploaded?

No. The file is decrypted in your browser with the password you type; neither leaves your device. The password is not stored, not added to the page address and not written into the unlocked copy. Keep this tab open until you download the result; reloading clears the session. Website hosting and performance measurement are described in our Privacy notice.

Can you remove a password I do not know?

No. Unlocking needs the password the file opens with. This tool does not try to guess or crack passwords and does not offer a recovery service. If you have forgotten the password to your own document, ask whoever created the file or restore an unprotected copy from wherever it was made.

The PDF opens fine but will not print or let me copy text. Can this help?

Yes. That is a restricted PDF: it has no open password but carries permission settings that viewers honour. Add it and click Unlock; no password is needed, because such files use an empty open password. The copy prints, copies and edits normally. Only do this with documents you are allowed to use that way.

What stays the same in the unlocked copy?

Everything except the encryption. Pages are not copied or re-rendered, forms are not flattened, and bookmarks, links, comments, editable fields, metadata and page sizes are unchanged. The file is rewritten, so its size can differ slightly from the original. The copy is not sanitized or redacted; anything the original contained is still there.

Can I unlock several PDFs at once?

Yes, up to 20 files, 50 MB each and 200 MB combined. One password is used for every file that asks for one; files that open without a password are unlocked directly. If a batch uses different passwords, unlock with one, type the next and unlock again: files already unlocked are kept and only the remaining ones are tried. A wrong password marks only that file.

Which files are not supported?

Digitally signed documents (re-saving would invalidate the signature), PDFs with empty signature fields, XFA forms (they cannot be rewritten in the browser) and PDFs encrypted with a certificate rather than a password. Files that are not protected at all are skipped with a note. Damaged files are reported; export a fresh copy from the application that made them.

Which kinds of encryption can be removed?

The standard PDF security handler in all its revisions: RC4 with 40- or 128-bit keys (Acrobat 2 to 7 era), AES-128 (Acrobat 7 and later) and AES-256 (Acrobat 9 and later, including the current ISO 32000-2 variant). The owner password is accepted as well as the open password. Certificate security and third-party DRM handlers are not supported.

More help

Guides, common conversions and useful next steps.

Edit the document

Use the complete page workspace for supported text and image edits, forms and signatures.

Continue with your result

Use the action beside a finished result to send it directly, or open another tool: