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Unlock PDF

Remove the password from your own PDF in your browser. Enter the password you know and download an unlocked copy. No cracking, no upload.

For your own PDFs, or files you are authorised to open. This tool removes a password you already know: it doesn’t crack, guess or bypass unknown passwords.

Before you start

This tool is for your own PDFs, or files you are authorised to open. It removes a password you already know. It does not crack, guess or bypass unknown passwords, and it never tries passwords for you: if you don’t have the right password, it can’t help.

How to remove a password from a PDF

  1. Drop a password-protected PDF on the drop zone, or click it to choose one. The tool checks the file and tells you what it needs: - the file needs a password to open; - the file opens without a password but has restrictions (printing, copying or changes), so its permissions password is needed; - the file is encrypted but has no password and no restrictions; - the file isn’t password-protected, so there’s nothing to unlock.
  2. Type the Password. Tick Show password to check what you typed.
  3. Tick I own this file or I’m authorised to open it and remove its password.
  4. Click Unlock PDF. The first time, the decryption engine (qpdf compiled to WebAssembly) is loaded.
  5. Click Download the unlocked PDF. The copy has _unlocked added to its name, and the tool tells you which encryption was used (AES-256, AES-128 or RC4).

Which password do I need?

A PDF can have two passwords. The password to open (user password) is asked for when the file is opened. The permissions password (owner password) protects restrictions such as “no printing” or “no copying”.

  • If the file only has a password to open and no restrictions, that password is enough.
  • If the author also set restrictions, removing them requires the permissions password, as in Adobe Acrobat. The password to open alone gives the message that the permissions password is needed.
  • If the file opens without a password but has restrictions, enter its permissions password.

The permissions password always works, whatever the file. When you type a wrong password, the tool says so and leaves the file unchanged; it doesn’t keep trying.

What you get

The result is a fully decrypted copy: no password to open and no restrictions. Pages, text, images, bookmarks, links and form fields are kept exactly as they were. The original file on your device is not modified.

An unlocked copy is convenient for archiving, merging with other documents, compressing or editing, and for software that can’t open encrypted PDFs. Remember that anyone who gets the copy can read it: store and share it with care.

Privacy

The file and the password stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and the password is only kept in the page’s memory while the tool works.

Frequently asked questions

Can this tool unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?

No. It doesn’t crack, guess or bypass passwords. Ask the person or organisation that sent you the file for the password, or for an unprotected copy.

Why does it say the permissions password is needed?

The author restricted printing, copying or changes. The password to open lets you read the file, but only the permissions password lets you remove those restrictions.

Is it legal to remove a PDF password?

Removing the password from your own document, or from a file you are authorised to use, is normal. Don’t use this tool to get around protections on documents you have no right to modify or share.

Does unlocking change the content of the PDF?

No. Only the encryption is removed. The size may change a little because the file is rewritten without encryption.

Does it work with old RC4-encrypted PDFs?

Yes. Files encrypted with RC4, AES-128 or AES-256 can all be unlocked, as long as you enter the right password.

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