Unlock PDF
Stop typing the same password every time you open your own statement, payslip or contract. Enter the password once, and you get an unlocked copy that opens, prints and copies freely, while the original stays protected.
Unlock PDF
or drop PDF files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload the protected PDF
Add up to 20 PDFs, each up to 95 MB, that you have the right to open, for example a bank statement sent to you or a document you encrypted yourself.
- 2
Enter the current password
Type the password you normally use to open the file into Current password. Leave it empty only if the PDF opens without a password and just blocks printing or copying.
- 3
Unlock and download
Press Unlock. The copy is saved with -unlocked added to its name unless you choose Keep original name under Advanced settings.
The two kinds of PDF password
- User password (open password)Document open password
- Encrypts the whole document. Nobody can read a page without it, and it is the password this tool asks for in Current password.
- Owner password (permissions password)Permissions password · Restrictions
- Sets what an opened file allows, such as printing, copying text or editing. The document can be read without it; the limits are flags that compliant viewers respect.
Both passwords come from the PDF standard security handler described in ISO 32000-1, the 2008 standard for PDF 1.7, and its successor ISO 32000-2 for PDF 2.0. Modern files are encrypted with AES; 256-bit AES arrived with PDF 1.7 Extension Level 3 in Acrobat 9 and is the method PDF 2.0 keeps. With a strong open password, the content cannot be read without that password, which is exactly why this tool needs it.
Permissions are different. A file with only an owner password is not secret: anyone can open and read it, and the restrictions tell the viewer to grey out Print or Copy. For documents you created or own, such as a form you locked years ago and now need to update, Remove restrictions only clears those flags without changing anything else. Use it for your own files and files you are licensed to edit, not to get around limits a publisher set on purpose.
If you want to understand both sides of the process, how to password protect a PDF explains which password to set for which purpose, and the privacy policy describes how uploaded files are handled.
Remove the password, or only the restrictions
Remove password and restrictions
Enter the open password; the copy you download opens without a prompt and allows printing, copying and editing.
- Needs the current open password
- Result has no encryption
- Best for files you open every week
Keep the open password
Print, copy and edit limits are lifted, but the file still asks for its open password.
- Enter the open password if the file has one
- Confidentiality stays in place
- Printing and copying become possible
Restrictions-only files
Files that open freely but block printing or copying need no password in the field.
- Leave Current password empty
- Only for documents you own or may edit
- Content was never encrypted against reading
An unlocked copy is unprotected
Anyone who receives the unlocked file can open and forward it. Store it where only you can reach it, delete it when you are done, and send the original protected file when you share a sensitive document.
Free PDF unlock limits and output options
- PDFs at a time
- 20
- Maximum size
- 95 MB
- Characters per password
- 128
- Until the file is deleted
- 30 min
Incorrect password
Passwords are case-sensitive. Check Caps Lock, copy the password from the original email if you can, and watch for a space at the end.
Signature panel says the document was modified
Expected after any decryption. Keep the encrypted original for signature checks and use the unlocked copy for reading and printing.
Form answers vanish in another app
Unlock again with Flatten forms on, which turns fields and comments into plain page content.
The copy still shows the author's name
Turn on Remove metadata to delete author, title and software information from the unlocked file.
Unlock PDF questions
Can this tool unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. A PDF with an open password is encrypted, and the password you type is what decrypts it; this tool does not guess or crack passwords. Ask the sender for the password, check the email or portal that delivered the file, or download a fresh copy from the account it came from.
What password do bank statements and tax documents use?
Senders usually build it from details you already know, such as part of your name, your date of birth or the last digits of an account or customer number. The exact rule is printed in the email or on the portal that sent the file; enter that password in Current password.
How do I remove password protection from a PDF but keep the restrictions?
It works the other way around: Remove restrictions only lifts print, copy and edit limits while keeping the open password. To drop the open password, leave that box unchecked and enter the password; the result has neither.
Is it legal to unlock a PDF?
Unlocking your own documents, or files someone gave you the password for, is ordinary use. Removing protection from a document you have no right to open or edit, such as a paid report shared without permission, can break copyright law or the terms under which you received it. Only unlock files you are entitled to use.
Will a digital signature survive unlocking?
With Keep digital signatures on, the signature fields stay in the document. Viewers may still report the signature as changed, because removing encryption rewrites the file. Keep the original encrypted file if anyone will need to verify the signature.
Can I add a different password after unlocking?
Yes. Unlock the file, then upload the unlocked copy to protect PDF and set a new open password, a permissions password, or both. This is also how you change a password you already know.
Why can't a company-protected PDF be unlocked with my login password?
Some organizations protect PDFs with digital certificates or a rights-management server instead of a password, and the file only opens on accounts that server approves. Those files have no password to type, so this tool cannot decrypt them; ask the document owner for an unprotected copy.