Unlock PDF

Remove a password you know from a PDF so it opens without prompting. Your file is deleted right after processing.

Drop the locked PDF here, or click to choose

You will need the password that opens it

Decryption runs on our server, so the file and password are uploaded over an encrypted connection. Both are deleted as soon as your download finishes, and the password is never stored.

Your processed file downloads automatically when it is ready.

HOW TO

How to remove a PDF password

A locked PDF cannot be merged, compressed or converted until the encryption comes off. This removes it, provided you know the password.

  1. 1

    Choose the locked PDF

    Drag the file in or click to browse. It is the encrypted document you want to open freely from now on.

  2. 2

    Enter the password

    Type the password you normally use to open it. Without the correct one, nothing can be done — this does not break encryption.

  3. 3

    Download the open copy

    Press Unlock and the unprotected version downloads, identical in content but no longer asking for a password.

USE CASES

When the password gets in the way

Encryption is useful right up until it stops you working.

Before merging or compressing

Other tools cannot open a locked file, so the password has to come off first.

Bank and card statements

Stop retyping a long reference every time you open your own statement.

Archiving documents

Store files you will still be able to open years from now without hunting for a password.

Printing in bulk

Avoid a password prompt on every document in a long print run.

Sharing internally

Pass a document to colleagues who are already inside a protected system.

Searching your files

Let desktop search index a document it cannot read while it is encrypted.

TIPS

Before you unlock

A couple of things worth thinking about first.

  • Only unlock documents you are entitled to open. You need the correct password either way — this does not crack encryption.
  • Keep the locked original if the document is sensitive. The unlocked copy has no protection at all.
  • Check capitals and trailing spaces if the password is rejected. They are the most common cause.
  • If the password opens the file but the tool still fails, it may use an owner password restricting printing rather than opening, which works differently.
  • Unlock once and do your other edits afterwards — merging, compressing and converting all need an unencrypted file.
  • Put protection back on with the Lock PDF tool once you are finished, if the document still needs it.
FAQ

Questions, answered

What this can and cannot do, and where your file goes.

Still stuck?

Send us the details and we will take a look.

Get in touch

Upload the PDF, enter the password you already use to open it, and download an unlocked copy. The new file opens with no prompt. The original stays as it is.

Related tools

Other things you can do here without signing up.

Lock PDFAdd password protection to PDFs.Merge PDFCombine multiple PDFs into one file.Compress PDFReduce PDF file size without quality loss.Organize PDFRearrange, delete, or rotate PDF pages.