Unlock a PDF: Remove a Password You Know
Two different locks live in the same dialog: the password that opens the file and the flags that forbid printing or copying.
What this tool does
Removes a password you already know, or strips the restriction flags from a document that opens but will not print or copy.
How it works
Enter the current password and download the unlocked copy. This is a tool for documents you own or are authorised to change — the conditions are in the Terms & Conditions. If the password is genuinely unknown, this is not a recovery service.
- Choose the PDF, or drag it onto the page.
- Run the tool and download the result.
Settings that decide the result
- Password
When to reach for it
- You know the password and want it gone. Removing it stops the prompt for every reader.
- A file opens but refuses to print. The restriction flags can be cleared.
Questions we get
Can it open any locked PDF?
Only files you can open or own. The tool removes the password and permission locks when you know the password — it never guesses or cracks anything.
What happens to the restrictions in the unlocked copy?
They're gone — the copy opens with no password and no permission limits, in every viewer. Keep it somewhere safe, since anyone holding it can open it freely.
Where it fits
The tools people usually open next to Unlock:
- Redact — Mark sensitive content and remove it for good — what is under a mark is destroyed, not hidden.
- Protect — Protect file with password and permissions
- Edit Metadata — Change PDF Author, Title, Keywords, Subject and other metadata fields
Every tool works on a copy, so the original file is never modified. Uploads are stored under an unguessable id and deleted automatically two hours after you last open them; nothing is listed, shared or indexed. More on the security page.