Unlock a PDF
Enter the password you already have and download an unencrypted copy of the PDF.
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What it does
Unlock PDF, explained
Unlock PDF removes encryption from a file when you know its password. You type the password once and get a copy that opens without it and has no printing or copying restrictions.
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Typical reasons: a bank or payroll statement that asks for a password every time you open it, a protected PDF you need to merge, compress or edit (those tools need an unlocked file), or a document you want to archive without depending on a password someone may forget.
Unlock does not guess, crack or bypass passwords. If you don't know the password, ask whoever sent the file. Decryption runs in your browser, so the file and the password stay on your device. Protect PDF does the reverse.
How to do it
Unlock a PDF in 3 steps
1A locked PDF
2Enter the password
3An unlocked copy
- 1
Add the protected PDF
Drop in the file. PDFBetter detects that it is encrypted.
- 2
Enter the password
Type the password that opens the file. For a file that opens freely but blocks printing or copying, enter its permissions (owner) password.
- 3
Download
The unlocked copy downloads immediately. Your original file is not changed.
Example
Before and after
Twelve monthly bank statements, each protected with the account holder's date of birth, that an accountant needs to combine into one file.
Twelve unlocked copies that open without a prompt and can go straight into Merge PDF.
Settings & formats
What you can control
- Password
- The open password, or the owner password for permission-only files.
Input
Output
Good to know before you start
- You must know the password; there is no recovery for lost passwords.
- PDFs secured with certificates (public-key security) or enterprise rights-management systems can't be unlocked here.
- Unlocking rewrites the file, which invalidates any certificate-based digital signature in it.
If something goes wrong
If something goes wrong
- It says the password is wrong
- Passwords are case-sensitive. Check Caps Lock and keyboard layout, and try without copied spaces. Some senders use a format like a date of birth in a specific order; check their instructions.
- The file isn't recognized as protected
- It may not be encrypted at all. If it opens but a tool still refuses it, the file may be damaged; try re-saving it from the original source.
Unlock PDF: questions people ask
Can PDFBetter remove a password I don't know?
No. Unlock needs the password. We don't offer password cracking or bypassing.
Is the password sent to your servers?
No. Decryption happens in your browser and neither the file nor the password is uploaded.
Will unlocking remove printing restrictions too?
Yes. The unlocked copy has no encryption, so permission restrictions no longer apply.
Is it legal to unlock a PDF?
Removing a password from your own document, or one you are authorized to use, is ordinary. Don't unlock files you don't have the right to use; PDFBetter is not a law firm and can't advise on specific cases.
Does the unlocked file look different?
No. Pages, fields and annotations are kept; only the encryption is removed.