Unlock PDF: remove a password from a PDF

PDFs can be protected in two different ways, and they behave differently here:

When you drop a file, the tool checks whether it is encrypted. If it finds no encryption, it tells you the file probably has no password.

This tool does not crack or guess passwords. If you have forgotten the open password of a PDF, it cannot open it, and neither can any legitimate tool without guessing. Ask the sender for the password or for an unprotected copy.

Typing the same password every time gets old, and many tools cannot work with encrypted files. Common reasons to remove a password you know:

• Bank, payroll and tax statements that arrive protected with your date of birth or part of your SSN, which you want to file or upload.
• Uploading to a portal that rejects encrypted PDFs.
• Merging, compressing or signing a protected PDF, which requires an unlocked file first.
• Printing a document that was restricted from printing by the sender's software.
• Archiving documents so you can open them years later without hunting for the password.

Only remove protection from documents you are entitled to use this way.

The tool uses qpdf, an open-source PDF library, compiled to WebAssembly so it runs inside your browser. It decrypts the file with the password you provide and writes a new copy with no encryption and no restrictions. Pages, text, images, links and form fields are unchanged.

The qpdf component (about 1.3 MB) downloads the first time you use the tool. Your PDF and your password are never sent to a server. The original protected file on your device stays as it was; you download a new file with -unlocked added to its name.

• "That password doesn't open the PDF": passwords are case-sensitive. Check Caps Lock and any special characters, and try copying the password from the email that came with the file.
• "This PDF needs an open password": the file has an open password and the field was empty. Type it in.
• Damaged file: if the PDF cannot be read at all, try Repair PDF first.
• Unusual encryption: a few PDFs use rare encryption or digital rights management that cannot be removed.

An unlocked PDF can be opened by anyone who gets the file. Store it somewhere secure, and if you need to send it, consider adding your own password with Password protect PDF using AES-256 encryption. If a PDF has a digital signature, removing the encryption changes the file and the signature will show as invalid.

Your payroll provider emails monthly pay stubs as PDFs protected with the last four digits of your SSN plus your birth year. A mortgage lender's portal rejects encrypted files. Drop a pay stub here, type the password, and click Remove password. The unlocked copy downloads immediately and uploads without errors. Repeat for each stub, or remove the passwords first and then combine the stubs into one file with Merge PDF.