PDF Tools
Unlock PDF
Remove the password from a PDF you already have the password for, so you can open it without typing it every time. The file and the password stay on your own device.
Only remove protection from documents you own or have permission to change. This tool needs the real password and never attempts to break one.
Your file and options
Supply the password you already know; nothing is sent anywhere.
Both the file and the password stay in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded, logged or stored.
Result
Choose a protected file and enter its password.
About this calculator
This tool removes password protection from a PDF you already have the password for, producing an unlocked copy you can open freely. It cannot crack, guess, or bypass a password you don't know. Everything happens inside your browser, so the file and its password are never sent anywhere.
How to use it
- 1.Choose the protected PDF.
- 2.Type the password you already use to open it.
- 3.Select Unlock PDF and download the copy that opens without a password.
Good to know
This tool cannot crack or guess a password. Without the correct password nothing can be opened, by design.
Files that only restrict printing or copying are rebuilt with their text intact. Files that need a password to open are rebuilt from pictures of each page, so selectable text may be lost.
How it works in plain English
You start by choosing the protected PDF and entering the password that was set on it. The tool uses that password to open the file, exactly the way a PDF reader would when it prompts you for one. If the password is wrong, the file simply won't open and nothing is produced, since there is no attempt made to guess or brute-force it.
Once opened successfully, the tool rebuilds the document page by page without the encryption that was locking it, and hands you back a new PDF that opens without a prompt. Because it is working from the decrypted view of an encrypted file, the pages are reconstructed rather than copied verbatim, and on some files this means the rebuilt pages behave like images of the originals rather than fully selectable text, even though they look the same visually.
All of this runs locally using JavaScript and WebAssembly in your browser. The file you upload is read on your own device, the password check and rebuild happen there too, and the unlocked file is generated for download without ever touching a server. Nothing is stored afterwards. You should only remove protection from a file you have the right to unlock, such as your own document or one you were given permission to access without its lock, since removing password protection from a document you don't have rights to could breach whatever restriction was placed on it in the first place.
Worked example
A freelancer receives a client contract as a password-protected PDF and needs to attach it, unlocked, to a shared project folder that other collaborators will browse without a password prompt each time. They open the tool, select the file, and type in the password the client sent separately by text message.
The tool opens the file with that password and produces a new, unlocked copy in a few seconds, which downloads straight to their device. They check that all pages are present and readable, then upload that copy to the shared folder. Because the original was encrypted, the text in the unlocked copy isn't selectable, but visually it matches the original document exactly.
What password removal can and can't do
| Situation | Outcome |
|---|---|
| You know the correct password | File opens and an unlocked copy is produced |
| You enter the wrong password | File will not open; no copy is produced |
| You don't know the password at all | Tool cannot guess or crack it |
| Original file has selectable text | Selectable text may be lost after rebuilding |
| You don't have rights to remove the lock | Removing it may breach the file's restriction |
| Password is correct and file is simple text-based | Unlocked copy usually matches the original closely |
General behaviour of client-side PDF password removal
Frequently asked questions
Can this tool remove a password I don't know?
No. It only works when you already know the correct password and enter it yourself. It opens the file the same way any PDF reader would, using that password, and then rebuilds it without the lock. It does not attempt to guess, crack, or brute-force passwords, so a PDF you genuinely can't access will stay inaccessible.
Why does the text in my unlocked PDF look right but won't select or copy?
Because the file was encrypted, unlocking it works by opening the pages with your password and rebuilding them, rather than copying the underlying file structure directly. That rebuild sometimes produces pages that display correctly but behave like images rather than text, so text selection, copying, and searching may no longer work even though the page looks identical.
Is my file or password uploaded anywhere?
No. The whole process, from reading the password-protected file to producing the unlocked copy, happens inside your browser using your device's own processing. Neither the file nor the password you type is sent to a server, and nothing is kept once you close the page or refresh it.
Am I allowed to unlock any PDF I have the password for?
You should only remove protection from files you have the right to unlock, typically your own documents or ones you were given explicit permission to access without their password. Removing protection from someone else's restricted document without permission may breach the terms under which that protection was applied, regardless of whether you happen to know the password.
Will this work on a PDF that also restricts printing or editing?
It's designed for the password needed to open the file. Some PDFs additionally carry separate permission restrictions, like disabling printing or editing, which can be layered on top of the open password. Removing the open-password lock with the correct password generally clears these restrictions too, since they rely on the same encryption being unlocked.