Unlock a PDF
Remove the password from a PDF you’re allowed to open, so you don’t have to type it every time. You enter the password once and get a copy that opens normally.
or drop a file here
One PDF, up to 250 MB.
Processed on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
How to unlock a PDF
Open the protected PDF
We check what kind of protection it has.
Type the password
It’s checked right here on your device.
Download the open copy
It no longer asks for a password.
What it handles
Old and new encryption
From the 40-bit RC4 used by very old PDFs up to modern 256-bit AES.
Permission-only files
Some PDFs open freely but won’t let you print or copy. You can lift those restrictions after confirming you have the right to.
Straight answers
A wrong password, or a file that wasn’t protected in the first place, gets a plain message saying so.
Use it responsibly
This tool needs the correct password. It doesn’t guess, crack or get round passwords, and if one’s been forgotten we can’t help, because we never had it.
Only remove protection from documents you own or have permission to change. Once it’s off, anyone who gets the file can read it, so think about adding a new password with Protect PDF before you pass it on.
Privacy and security
The password is used inside this browser tab to decrypt the file and is discarded when you leave the page. Neither the password nor the document is uploaded.
Read more in our privacy policy.
Unlock PDF FAQs
I’ve forgotten the password. Can you recover it?
No. We don’t store passwords and we don’t try to crack them. Ask whoever sent you the file.
It opens without a password but still says it’s protected
It has permission restrictions (for example, no printing) without an open password. If you own it or have permission, you can remove them here.
Why do other tools send me here first?
An encrypted PDF can’t be edited safely until it’s decrypted. Remove the password here, then use the other tool on the new copy.