How to remove a password from a PDF
Updated
Contents
To remove a password from a PDF, open Unlock PDF, add the protected file, type the password that opens it, and download an unprotected copy. Anyone can then open that copy without a password.
Unlock PDF runs on a secure server rather than in your browser, because decryption uses the native qpdf engine. Your file uploads over an encrypted connection, and our server deletes the input when the job finishes. The download link stops working after 60 minutes, and stored copies are erased by a daily storage rule.
It is not a password cracker. It needs the password that currently opens the file, and it cannot recover, guess or bypass a password nobody knows.
Step by step
- 1Open the Unlock PDF tool.
- 2Add the password-protected PDF — it uploads over an encrypted connection to our secure server.
- 3Type the password that currently opens the file.
- 4Run the tool. Our secure server removes the encryption and deletes the input when the job finishes.
- 5Download the unlocked copy. The download link stops working after 60 minutes, so save it right away.
- 6Open the downloaded copy to confirm it no longer asks for a password.
What unlocking does
Unlocking decrypts the file with the password you type and writes a copy with the encryption removed. The pages themselves are not changed: it is the same document, without the lock.
You need the password that opens it
An empty password is refused before the job starts, and a password that does not open the file ends the job without an output. Nothing is guessed or tried on your behalf.
Putting a password back
If you only needed the lock off to make a change, put it back afterwards: Protect PDF encrypts a PDF with AES so it only opens with a password, and it runs on the same kind of secure server.
Common questions
Can I remove a password I do not know?
No. Unlock PDF needs the password that currently opens the file. It does not guess, recover or bypass passwords.
Is my PDF uploaded when I unlock it?
Yes. Unlocking runs on a secure server rather than in the browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, and our server deletes the input when the job finishes.
How long is the unlocked copy available?
The download link stops working after 60 minutes, and stored copies are erased by a daily storage rule. Download it as soon as the job completes.
How large can my file be?
Up to 100 MB per file.