Drop a password-protected PDF
or click to browseor tap to choose
Enter its password to remove it, entirely in your browser
Large files (over 50 MB) may take longer or run out of browser memory
About Unlock PDF
Removes the password from a PDF so it opens without asking, using the password you already know. When you add the file a box asks for the password; the unlocked copy is a normal PDF with no protection. Everything happens in your browser; the file and the password are never uploaded.
Drop the PDF and type its password when asked. If the file only has restrictions (for example no printing) and opens without a password, it unlocks straight away. Download the new file when the green check appears; your original is not changed.
This tool cannot guess or crack a password: you need to know it. Use it only on documents you are allowed to change. Open the downloaded copy once in your usual reader to confirm it no longer asks for a password.
- Can this tool crack a PDF password I forgot?
- No. It only removes protection when you give it the correct password. It does not guess, crack or bypass passwords.
- What if my PDF opens fine but won't let me print or copy?
- That means it has restrictions but no open password. Drop it here and it unlocks at once, without asking for a password; the copy you download has no restrictions. Do this only for files you are allowed to change.
- Will unlocking change how my document looks?
- No. Every page keeps its size, text, images and links, and bookmarks and the document title are kept too. Keep your original anyway, because the unlocked copy no longer has any protection.
- Is the password sent to a server?
- No. The password is used only in your browser to open the file, and nothing is uploaded.
- Why does it say my PDF is not protected?
- The file has no password or restriction to remove. If another program still asks for a password, the file might be a different type, or you may be looking at a different copy.
How to use Unlock PDF
Drop the password-protected PDF. A box asks for its password; type it and press Unlock. A file that only has restrictions, such as no printing, opens without a password and unlocks at once. When the green check appears, the Download button gives you a copy that opens with no password and no restrictions. Your original is not changed.
When to use it
Use it when you own a PDF and are tired of typing its password every time, when a colleague or bank sent a protected document you are allowed to keep unprotected, or before merging, splitting or editing a PDF with a tool that cannot open protected files.
When not to use it
It cannot find or guess a password: you must know it. It is not for documents you have no right to change. If you want to add a password instead, use Add PDF Password. If the file is damaged rather than protected, try Repair PDF.
Tips for best results
Passwords are case-sensitive and spaces count. The box lets you try again if the password is wrong. After downloading, open the new file in your usual reader once to confirm it opens without asking.
Limitations
The file is re-saved without protection. Pages, text, images, links, bookmarks and the title are kept; this was checked with files protected by 128-bit and 256-bit AES and by owner-only restrictions. A file that is not protected is passed through unchanged and the page says so. Very old or unusual protection schemes may not open and give a message instead.
Privacy
The file and the password are used in your browser tab only and are never uploaded. The unlocked copy exists only in memory until you download it, and everything is gone when you close the page.
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