Unlock PDF
Remove password protection from PDF
Click or drop a protected PDF hereChoose a protected PDF
About Unlock PDF
Unlock PDF decrypts a protected PDF with its password and saves the same document without encryption, so the copy opens without a password and without printing, copying, or editing restrictions. Bookmarks, form fields, and document information are kept. Either the open (user) password or the permissions (owner) password works, and a PDF that only has restrictions opens with the field left empty. It does not guess or crack an unknown password, and a PDF that is not protected is reported instead of being copied. The password check and the decryption both happen on your device.
How to remove a password from a PDF
- 1Choose the protected PDF.
- 2Type its password in "Password (if required)", or leave the field empty if the file opens without one.
- 3Click "Unlock PDF", then "Download" to save unlocked.pdf.
Formats and limits
- Input
- Encrypted PDF
- Password
- Open or permissions password; none for restrictions only
- Kept
- Bookmarks, form fields, document information
- Result
- unlocked.pdf, without encryption
Where your file is processed
The password you type and the PDF are used only inside your browser, where @cantoo/pdf-lib decrypts the file; neither of them is ever sent to our servers. A PDF that only carries restrictions is opened with an empty password, so in that case you type nothing at all.
Frequently asked questions
Can it unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. The tool needs the real password and never tries to guess one. If the file opens without a password and only blocks printing or copying, leave the field empty: those restrictions are removed without any password.
Does Wrong password mean the password does not match?
Yes. The password you typed does not open this file. Check upper and lower case and the keyboard layout. If you left the field empty and the PDF asks for a password to open, the message asks you to enter it instead.
Do I get a file for a PDF that is not protected?
No. Such a PDF opens without a password and has no restrictions, so there is nothing to remove. The page says so instead of giving you an identical copy.
Are bookmarks and form fields kept?
Yes. The decrypted document itself is saved, so bookmarks, form fields, and document information stay; only the encryption and the objects that referred to it are removed.
Tips and tricks
- ✓To protect the unlocked copy again with new permissions, use Protect PDF.