Free Unlock PDF
Remove the password from a PDF you have the password for. Enter it once and download an unlocked copy. Runs in your browser.
Choose the locked PDF, type its password and download a copy that opens without one. If the file only has restrictions such as no printing or copying, the tool removes them without asking for a password. It cannot guess or crack passwords.
How to use the Unlock PDF
- Choose the locked PDF. Pick the file. If it opens without a password and only has restrictions such as no printing or copying, the tool tells you.
- Enter the password. Type the password you were given. Either the open password or the owner password works.
- Download the unlocked copy. The new file opens without a password. Keep the original too.
What is the Unlock PDF?
A password-protected PDF asks for its password every time you open it. If you know the password and no longer need the protection, for example on your own archive, you can save a copy without it.
This tool opens the file with the password you give it and saves an unlocked copy. It runs in your browser, so the file and the password never leave your device. It cannot guess or crack a password: you need to know it.
Which protection it can remove
It reads the standard password protection used by most PDF programs: 40-bit and 128-bit RC4, 128-bit AES and 256-bit AES. Files that use a custom security handler or certificate-based encryption are not supported, and the tool says so instead of failing silently.
Passwords and restrictions
Some PDFs open without any password but block printing, copying or editing. Those limits are set with an owner password. If your file opens freely, the tool simply saves a copy without the limits. If it asks for a password, enter the open password or the owner password.
What this tool does not do
- It does not crack, guess or bypass passwords.
- It does not work on certificate-protected files.
- Saving a new copy can make a certificate-based digital signature show as invalid, because the file has changed.
Next steps
Once the file is open you can sign it, edit it or protect it again with a new password.
Tips for better results
Only unlock files that are yours or that you have permission to open.
If the password is rejected, check capital letters and spaces, and that you have the password that belongs to this file.
Share the unlocked copy carefully. It is no longer protected.
Related tools
Privacy and where your data goes
This tool runs entirely in your browser. The PDF and the password are used on your device to open the file and are never sent to Signplify.
Frequently asked questions
Can you open a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. This tool needs the password. It does not guess or crack passwords, and a strongly protected file cannot be opened without one.
Is it allowed to unlock a PDF?
Removing the password from your own file is fine. Only unlock files you own or have permission to open. This page is not legal advice.
Does the unlocked file look the same?
Pages, text and images are kept as they are. The file is saved again, so its size may change a little.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The file and the password stay in your browser.
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