Unlock a PDF for Easy Viewing and Editing
Which password do you need to remove protection from a PDF?
Remove password protection from a PDF when you have the required password and permission to modify it. Enter the applicable password, process the document and check whether the downloaded copy opens as intended. This tool does not recover an unknown password. Keep a protected original if the unlocked copy is only needed for a particular task.
Cost: Free to use. File size and usage limits apply.
How to remove a PDF password
Add the protected PDF
Click Choose PDF or drop a PDF of up to 200 MB on the tool. A PDF you already used in another tool can be picked from Uploads. Select the protected document for this task and have its valid password ready.
Enter one password you know
Type it into Password. It is tried as both the open password and the owner password, so you don't need to know which kind it is.
Click Unlock PDF
The server decrypts the file with your password and writes a copy without any protection. If the password is wrong, the job stops and no file is created.
Check and download
The unlocked copy replaces the original in the preview. Page through it, then click Download unlocked PDF. The copy also stays in Uploads, so you can open it in other PDF tools.
Open password and owner password
PDF protection has two parts. The open password (the user password in the PDF standard) is needed to view the file at all. The owner password, also called the permissions password, sets restrictions such as no printing, no copying of text or no editing. A PDF with only an owner password opens without a prompt, but viewers that respect the restrictions block those actions.
A file can have one or both. This tool needs only one correct password: the open password alone or the owner password alone is enough, even when the file has both. The result has neither. It opens without a prompt and allows printing, copying and editing.
To keep a password on the file and only change what readers may do, use PDF Permissions instead. To put a new password on the unlocked copy, use Protect PDF.
Password fields
All three fields are masked and case-sensitive. Fill in at least one; with all three empty, the tool asks you for a password before it starts.
- Password
- The simplest choice when you only know a single password and aren't sure what kind it is. It is tried as both the open password and the owner password.
- Owner password
- The permissions password. Use this field when you know your password is the owner password, for example for a file that opens without a prompt but won't print.
- User password
- The open password, the one your PDF viewer asks for. It is enough on its own to remove the restrictions as well. If you fill in both Owner password and User password, one of them being correct is enough.
Formats and limits
- Input format
- PDF protected with a password, using RC4 (40-bit or 128-bit) or AES (128-bit or 256-bit) encryption
- Not supported
- PDFs encrypted with a digital certificate instead of a password, and PDFs without any password protection
- Output format
- PDF with no open password, no owner password and no restrictions. Pages are not re-rendered; the title and author are kept.
- Maximum file size
- 200 MB
- Files per job
- 1 PDF
- Processing
- On our servers with the pdfcpu PDF library. A job can run for up to 15 minutes.
- Watermark
- None
- Storage
- Uploads and results are deleted automatically after 48 hours for guests and after 30 days for free accounts. Paid plans can keep files longer.
Frequently asked questions
Can this tool recover a password I've forgotten?
No. It doesn't guess or crack passwords. A PDF that asks for a password when it opens is encrypted, and the key can only be recovered with the open password or the owner password. If someone sent you the file, ask them for the password.
Why did unlocking fail?
The input must be an intact PDF protected with a supported password method, and the password must be correct. Passwords are case-sensitive, so check Caps Lock and your keyboard layout. An unprotected PDF has no password protection to remove; certificate encryption is not handled by this tool.
My PDF opens fine, but I can't print, copy or edit it. Will this help?
Yes, if the restriction comes from PDF password permissions and you know the owner password. Enter it in Owner password or Password, and the unlocked copy allows printing, copying and editing. PDF Info shows whether the file is encrypted and which permissions are set.
Does unlocking change the content or the file size?
The page content stays the same. Nothing is re-rendered or recompressed, so text that was selectable remains selectable and images keep their quality. The PDF structure is rewritten, so its size can change depending on the source file. If the PDF was digitally signed, the signature no longer validates in the unlocked copy, because the file's bytes change.
Is it safe to enter my PDF password here?
The password and the file are sent to our server, because decryption runs there, not in your browser. No AI or other outside service is involved. The upload and the unlocked copy are deleted automatically after 48 hours for guests and after 30 days for free accounts; paid plans can keep files longer. The unlocked copy has no protection at all, so store and share it with care.