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How to unlock a PDF

Typing the same password every time you open your bank statement, pay stub or insurance policy gets old fast. Unlock the PDF once and save a copy that opens without a password and can be printed, copied and edited.

Do it now in the free PDF editorOpens in your browser. No sign-up, no watermark — your PDF is never uploaded.
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Unlock a PDF in four steps

  1. Open the PDF editor and choose the protected PDF.
  2. If the file has a password to open it, type the password and click Open PDF. Files that are only restricted open right away.
  3. Click More in the toolbar and choose Unlock PDF. The panel shows how the file was protected.
  4. Click Unlock and download. The copy is saved with “-unlocked” at the end of its name and opens without a password.

See how it works

Password dialog for a protected service agreement: type the password and click Open PDF
  1. Type the password of the protected PDF
  2. Click Open PDF
The Unlock PDF panel shows that the agreement had a password, low-resolution printing only and no copying, with AES 256-bit encryption
  1. The panel shows how the file was protected
  2. Unlock and download saves a copy without a password

What the Unlock panel shows

  • Whether the file needed a password to open, or only had restrictions.
  • Which actions were restricted, such as printing, copying or editing.
  • The encryption that was used, for example AES 256-bit or the older RC4.

Your edits are included

The unlocked copy is made from the document as you see it in the editor, so you can unlock, fill in, sign and download in one go. The original protected file on your device is not changed.

Want to lock the file again with a new password? Use Protect PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Can I unlock a PDF if I don’t know the password?

Not if the PDF needs a password to open: the content is encrypted, and only the password can decrypt it. We don’t guess or crack passwords. If the file opens without a password and is only restricted (for example, printing or copying is turned off), it can be unlocked without any password.

What does unlocking remove?

Both kinds of protection: the password to open the file and the restrictions on printing, copying, editing, comments and form filling. The unlocked copy is a normal PDF that opens anywhere.

Can I edit a protected PDF without removing the password?

Yes. Open it with its password and edit it as usual. When you download, the file keeps the same password to open it. Restrictions are removed when the file is opened, because we can’t reapply them without the permissions password; you can set new ones with Protect PDF.

Is it legal to unlock a PDF?

Removing a password from your own documents, or from files you have permission to change, is fine. Don’t use it to get around protection that someone else put on a document you are not allowed to edit or copy.

Is my PDF or my password uploaded to a server?

No. The password is checked and the file is decrypted entirely in your browser, so the document and the password never leave your device.

Ready to try it?Drop your PDF into the editor and download the result in seconds.
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