Password protect or unlock a PDF

Add an open password to a PDF, or remove a password you know. AES-256, runs in your browser, free, no sign-up, nothing is uploaded.

    Drop PDF files here or choose files.

    • Up to 50MB per file, up to 10 files at a time (the same password is applied to all)
    • The password and the files stay in your browser and are never sent anywhere
    • Unlocking only works with a password you know. The tool does not recover or bypass unknown passwords

    Stays in your browser. It is never written to the page address, a server or any log. It is shown in plain text, so mind who is looking.

    Blank means it is the same as the open password. Use a different one if people who can open the file should not be able to lift the restrictions.

    Files never leave this device. Privacy policy

    Result

    Add PDFs, type a password and click Convert. The locked (or unlocked) files show up here. Several files can be saved together as a ZIP.

    What to do next

    Redact a PDF

    Black out SSNs and account numbers before locking the file.

    Add a watermark or page numbers to PDF

    Stamp Confidential or a company name on every page.

    Compress PDF

    Shrink the file before locking or after unlocking it.

    How it works

    Add PDFs and choose Add password or Remove password. To add one, type the open password, optionally set a permissions password and the print and copy permissions, and click Convert. Several files get the same password in one go.

    To remove one, type the password you know and a copy without it is saved. It is handy for pay stubs or card statements that arrive locked every month and you want to archive them unlocked. Files whose password you do not know cannot be unlocked.

    Encryption is always AES-256, and passwords can be up to 127 characters. The result card shows the encryption method and the print and copy permissions.

    Things to know

    If you forget the password there is no way to recover it. The tool does not store passwords and has no recovery feature.

    With the permissions password blank, the open password doubles as the permissions password, so anyone who can open the file can also lift print and copy restrictions. Set a separate permissions password if the restrictions matter. Keep in mind that PDF permissions are honored by the viewer, so no tool can enforce them completely.

    To put a new password on a file that already has one, remove the old password first and then add the new one. A file that opens without a password but has restrictions needs the permissions password to unlock.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can it unlock a PDF whose password I forgot?

    No. This tool takes a password you know and saves a copy without it. It has no feature for recovering or bypassing a password. If the password is wrong, it tells you.

    What is the difference between the open password and the permissions password?

    The open password is required to open the file. The permissions password lifts print and copy restrictions. If you leave the permissions password blank it is set to the open password, so anyone who can open the file can also lift the restrictions.

    What encryption is used?

    AES-256, the PDF 2.0 standard, always. Adobe Reader, the built-in viewers in Chrome, Edge and Safari, and the default viewers on iPhone and Android can all open it. Very old viewers (Acrobat 9 and earlier) may not.

    Are the password or the files sent to a server?

    No. Locking and unlocking happen entirely inside your browser. The password is not written to the page address or any usage log.

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