Unlock a PDF
Take the password off a PDF you own, so the saved copy opens without asking. You supply the password; the tool does not guess or crack anything.
Add one PDF to unlock.
or drop a file here
Only for your own files whose password you know; files with an unknown password can't be opened. For files that only block printing or copying, leave the box empty.
Your PDF is handled inside this browser tab and is never uploaded.
How to use it
- Press ‘Choose a file’ and open the locked PDF. If it has no password after all, the tool tells you.
- Type the password into ‘This PDF's password’; ‘Show’ lets you check it. If the PDF opens freely but will not print or copy, leave that box empty.
- Press ‘Unlock PDF’, or press Enter in the password box.
- If the password is right, press ‘Download’. The copy is named like the original with -unlocked added.
What it does
The password and the limits both go
With the right password the encryption is removed completely. The copy opens in any viewer without a prompt, and without restrictions on printing or copying.
Restricted but not locked
Some PDFs open freely yet refuse printing or copying. For those, press ‘Unlock PDF’ with the password box empty, and the copy comes out without the limits.
Content exactly as it was
Only the encryption is taken off. Pages, text, images, bookmarks and form fields stay as they were, because the document is not redrawn.
A plain answer to a wrong password
If the password is wrong, a message reminds you to check capital letters and spaces. The box is selected, so you can type the next attempt straight away.
Clears the way for other tools
Merge PDF, Split PDF and Organize PDF stop at a password-protected file and ask you to remove the password first. An unlocked copy goes through all of them.
Good to know
A common case is a bank statement, pay stub or e-bill protected with your birth date or a customer number, which you have to type every time. If the file is yours, an unlocked copy is easier to file, search and combine with other PDFs.
The tool never guesses or bypasses a password. It uses the one you type, so capital letters, spaces and keyboard language matter. Banks usually say exactly what to enter, for example the day, month and year in a fixed order. A password you do not have cannot be worked around here, so ask whoever sent the file.
An unlocked PDF opens for anyone who gets hold of it. Store it somewhere private, and add a password again with Protect PDF if it travels by email or chat. Use this tool only on files you own or have the right to open.
Questions and answers
Can I unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. The tool removes a password you can supply; it does not search for or break one. Ask whoever created or sent the file, or look for the message that came with it.
Why does it say the password isn't right?
Look for capital letters, extra spaces at the start or end, and the wrong keyboard language. ‘Show’ lets you read what you typed. Banks often use a fixed format, such as a birth date.
How do I remove a printing or copying restriction?
If the PDF opens without a password but will not print or copy, press ‘Unlock PDF’ with the box left empty. The saved copy has no restrictions.
What happens if the PDF has no password?
The tool says the PDF does not seem to have one. Nothing needs removing, and the file can go straight into the other tools.
Can I use it on someone else's PDF?
Only if you have the password and the right to open the file. Unlocking is meant for your own documents, and without the correct password the tool cannot open a file at all.
Are my PDF and password uploaded?
No. Both stay in your browser while the password is removed, and neither is sent to a server.