Unlock PDF
Enter a password you know to unlock a PDF and save it without the password. Files never leave your device.
No upload · Processed in your browserPDF200 MB per file (recommended)As of 2026.10.01
Add a PDF to check which kind of password it has.
Only PDFs whose password you know can be unlocked. Passwords are never guessed or tried repeatedly.
How to use Unlock PDF
- 1Drag and drop one password-protected PDF or pick it with [Choose files]. The tool checks which kind of password it has and shows the matching field
- 2Enter the password you know and press [Start]. Press [Show] to check what you typed
- 3Save the PDF without its password using [Download]
The big number on the result card is the number of pages. The result keeps the original name with -unlocked added, as in contract-unlocked.pdf, and opens without a password. If the place you’re submitting to sets a file name, rename the file after saving.
You can add one PDF at a time. We recommend up to 200 MB on desktop and 50 MB on mobile. Going over the recommendation shows a warning, but you can still continue. Files over 500 MB are not processed.
Use this tool only on PDFs you have the right to open, such as documents sent to you, and whose password you know. PDFs whose password you don’t know can’t be unlocked.
- Example 1 · PDF with an open password
contract.pdf (3 pages, 2 KB, AES-256 open password and permissions password) · open password entered
Measured in Chrome on desktop · test PDF locked with qpdf
→ contract-unlocked.pdf, 3 pages · 2 KB · opens without a password
- Example 2 · PDF with only an editing and printing restriction
restricted.pdf (3 pages, 2 KB, opens without asking for a password) · permissions password entered in “Enter the permissions password”
Measured in Chrome on desktop · test PDF with only a permissions password set by qpdf
→ restricted-unlocked.pdf, 3 pages · 2 KB · no password
- Example 3 · Wrong password
contract.pdf · wrong password entered, then [Start]
Measured in Chrome on desktop · test PDF locked with qpdf
→ “The password doesn't match” · no result · fixing the password and pressing [Start] again on the same file unlocks it
Example figures vary by file and device.
Unlock PDF options explained
- Enter the open password
- Appears when you add a PDF that asks for a password when opened. Enter the open password to unlock it. If you know the permissions password that restricts editing and printing, that works too. Use this to turn a PDF the sender locked with a password, like a tax form or pay stub, into a copy you can submit.
- Enter the permissions password
- Appears when you add a PDF that opens without a password but restricts editing, printing or copying. It's unlocked only if the permissions password matches. While the field is empty, [Start] can't be pressed.
- Show
- The password you type is hidden at first. Press [Show] to see the characters, and press it again to hide them. Use it to check for mistakes in uppercase, lowercase or spaces. The field is set so the browser's autofill doesn't remember it.
- What gets processed
- This isn't a setting you can turn on or off; it always works the same way. Only the encryption is removed; page content, bookmarks and annotations stay as they are. Anyone can open and edit the result, so take care where you keep it and who you send it to.
Unlock PDF: frequently asked questions
Are my PDFs and passwords sent to a server?
No. Unlocking happens inside this browser, and your files and the password you enter are never sent off your device. The password is used only in this page's memory and isn't saved. It's cleared when you switch to another file or start over. To check it yourself, follow the steps on the How it works page.
Can I unlock a PDF if I don't know the password?
No. This tool only unlocks PDFs whose password you know. It never guesses passwords or tries one after another; it opens the file once with the password you enter. If you've forgotten the password, ask the sender for it or for a new copy of the file.
It opens without a password, but I can't edit or print it.
That PDF has only a permissions password restricting editing and printing. When you add it, “Enter the permissions password” appears, and you need that permissions password to unlock it. Having no open password doesn't mean it can be unlocked without a password.
It says “The password doesn't match”.
Check uppercase, lowercase and spaces, then enter it again. You don't need to add the file again; once you fix the password, you can press [Start] again. A PDF with an open password can also be unlocked with its permissions password.
It says “This PDF isn't password-protected”.
The PDF you added has no password. It already opens without one, so you can use it as is. If another PDF tool showed “Password-protected PDFs can't be processed”, add that file here to see which kind of password it has.
Does unlocking change the content?
No. Page content, bookmarks and annotations stay as they are; only the encryption is removed. To lock it again, you can set a new password with Protect PDF.
Can I remove the password from a payslip or tax PDF to keep or submit it?
If the document was issued to you and you know the password, you can save a copy without one here for your records or for a submission. Use the password the issuer gave you; if you don’t have it, ask the issuer rather than guessing. Check that the recipient accepts an unprotected file, and keep the unlocked copy somewhere safe, since anyone can open it. The guide “How to add or remove a PDF password” has more detail.
Related tools
How it works · Engine · Notes
- Processed in: this browser (your device)
- Engine: qpdf (WebAssembly build) (Apache-2.0) · qpdf-wasm (@neslinesli93/qpdf-wasm, wrapper) (ISC)
- Unlocking runs inside this browser with qpdf, and files and passwords are not sent to a server.
- Only PDFs whose password you know are unlocked. When you add a file, the tool checks which kind of password it has; when you press [Start], it opens the file once with the password you entered. Passwords are never guessed or tried repeatedly.
- The password you enter isn't saved or included in analytics or logs. It's cleared when you switch to another file or start over.
- The qpdf engine (WebAssembly, about 1.3 MB) is downloaded once, the first time you add a PDF.
- Use it only on your own documents that you have the right to open.
- As of 2026.10.01
- Changelog: 2026.10.01 First release