Unlock PDF – Remove PDF Password
Permanently remove the password from a PDF so it opens without one. Decryption runs entirely in your browser: your file and your password are never uploaded.
This free PDF password remover unlocks a protected PDF without leaving your browser. If the file asks for a password when you open it, enter that password once and download a copy that opens instantly, with no password prompt, on any device. If the PDF only restricts printing or copying, those restrictions are removed without any password at all.
Unlike most online unlock tools, nothing is uploaded. The PDF is decrypted locally on your own device and the password is never sent anywhere, which makes this safe for exactly the files that tend to be password-protected: bank statements, payslips, tax documents, insurance letters, and contracts.
How to remove a password from a PDF
- Select your locked PDF
Drag the PDF into the box above or click to browse. The file is opened locally in your browser and never uploaded.
- Enter the password if asked
If the PDF needs a password to open, a password box appears. Type the password you normally use to open the file. PDFs that only restrict printing or copying unlock without a password.
- Click Unlock PDF
The document is decrypted on your device in a second or two, even for long files.
- Download the unlocked copy
An unlocked PDF downloads automatically, named with an "-unlocked" suffix so your original stays intact. It opens everywhere without a password.
The two kinds of PDF password (and which you can remove)
PDFs can carry two separate passwords, and knowing which one you are dealing with tells you what to expect:
- Open password (user password): the PDF asks for it before showing any content, and the file is genuinely encrypted with it. This tool removes it permanently, but you must enter the password once: modern PDF encryption (AES-128 and AES-256) cannot be bypassed or cracked by any honest tool, so a forgotten open password cannot be recovered here.
- Permissions password (owner password): the PDF opens normally but blocks printing, copying, or editing. These restrictions are advisory rather than real encryption, and this tool strips them without needing any password at all.
Every standard PDF encryption type is supported: RC4 40-bit and 128-bit, AES-128, and AES-256. The unlocked copy is byte-for-byte the same document, just without the encryption layer, so text stays selectable, bookmarks and links keep working, and nothing is rasterized or watermarked.
Want every method, including Chrome's print trick, Preview on a Mac, and what to do when the password is lost? Our guide on how to remove a password from a PDF covers them all.
Stop typing the same password every time
The most common locked PDFs are the ones sent to you: banks, card issuers, payroll providers, and insurers routinely protect e-statements with a password built from your details, such as your date of birth or a customer number. Typing that code every single time you open a statement gets old fast, and a password-protected file cannot be indexed by search, previewed, or processed by other tools.
Unlocking your own documents once fixes all of that: the copies in your archive open instantly, work with any PDF tool, and remain protected by whatever security your device and cloud storage already provide. Only unlock files you own or are authorized to access; the point is convenience with your own paperwork, not getting into someone else's.
Why use this converter?
Private by design
Conversion runs in your browser. Your files are never uploaded, stored, or seen by anyone.
Genuinely free
No daily task limits, premium tiers, or watermarks. Local conversion costs nothing to run.
Instant results
No upload and download queues. Files convert in about a second, even on slow connections.
Works everywhere
Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android: any modern browser, no app or software install.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove the password from a PDF?
Drop the PDF into the tool above, type the password you normally use to open the file, and click Unlock PDF. A copy without the password downloads automatically. Everything runs in your browser, so neither the file nor the password is uploaded.
Can it unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. A PDF open password is real encryption (AES-128 or AES-256 in modern files), and it cannot be cracked or bypassed. If the PDF came from a bank or provider, check the covering email: the password is usually a combination of your details, like a date of birth or customer number. Restrictions on printing or copying are the exception: those are removed without any password.
Is my PDF or password uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is decrypted locally in your browser and the password never leaves your device. That makes this tool safe for bank statements, payslips, and other sensitive documents, unlike unlock services that process your file on their servers.
Will the unlocked PDF look different from the original?
No. Only the encryption layer is removed. Text stays selectable and searchable, images keep their full quality, and bookmarks, links, and form fields are preserved. There is no watermark.
Can I remove printing and copying restrictions from a PDF?
Yes. If the PDF opens without a password but blocks printing, copying, or editing, drop it in and click Unlock PDF: the restrictions are removed without entering anything, because they are set with a permissions password that does not encrypt the file.
Is it legal to remove a password from a PDF?
Unlocking a document you own or are authorized to access, such as your own bank statement, is a normal task. Do not use it on files you are not permitted to open; the tool cannot open files without the correct password anyway.
What PDF encryption types are supported?
All standard ones: RC4 40-bit and 128-bit (older PDFs), AES-128, and AES-256 (current PDFs). If the correct password is entered, the file unlocks regardless of which scheme was used.