Unlock PDF

Unlock a PDF online for free. Remove the password or the editing, copying and printing restrictions from a PDF you own. Decryption happens in your browser, so your file is not uploaded.

Drop your locked PDF here

or click to browse (one PDF, up to 100MB)

Only unlock PDFs that you own or have permission to open. This tool cannot guess or crack passwords.

Private by design

Your PDF is decrypted by your browser. It is not uploaded to our servers.

Password or restrictions

Remove the open password (if you know it) or the owner restrictions on printing, copying and editing.

Keeps your content

Text, images and layout are not re-rendered, so the unlocked file keeps its quality and selectable text.

How to unlock a PDF

Upload: Drop your PDF into the box above or click to choose it.
Check the message: The tool tells you whether the PDF needs a password to open or only has restrictions.
Enter the password if asked: If the PDF needs a password to open, type it in. Restrictions-only PDFs need no password.
Unlock and download: Click Unlock PDF, then download the file without protection.

Two kinds of PDF protection

A PDF can have an open password (also called a user password), which you must enter to view the file, and an owner password, which restricts what you can do with a PDF you can already open, such as printing, copying text or editing. This tool removes both: you enter the open password if there is one, and the owner restrictions are removed from the saved copy.

What this tool cannot do

It cannot recover a forgotten open password, and it does not try to guess or crack passwords. If a PDF requires a password to open and you do not know it, it cannot be unlocked here. Please only unlock files that you own or are allowed to modify; removing protection from documents you do not have rights to may be illegal.

Why unlock a PDF?

Typical reasons are printing a document you were sent with printing disabled, copying text from your own file, or removing a password you no longer need before merging, compressing or editing the PDF with other tools.

Related free PDF tools: Protect PDF, Merge PDF, Compress PDF, PDF Editor, Flatten PDF, PDF to Word.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Unlock PDF tool free?

Yes. It is free to use, with no registration required.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. The PDF is decrypted in your browser using a WebAssembly version of the open-source QPDF library, and the file is not sent to our servers. The decryption engine itself (about 1.3 MB) is downloaded from a content delivery network the first time you use the tool.

Can you unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?

No. This tool does not crack or guess passwords. If a PDF needs a password to open and you do not have it, it cannot be opened here.

Do I need a password to remove restrictions?

Usually not. If the PDF opens without a password but blocks printing, copying or editing, the tool can remove those restrictions without any password.

What happens if I enter the wrong password?

The tool shows an error and does not create a file. Check the password and try again.

Will unlocking change the quality of my PDF?

No. The text, images and layout are not re-rendered or re-compressed; only the protection is removed.

Which encryption types are supported?

Common PDF encryption, including 40-bit and 128-bit RC4 and 128-bit and 256-bit AES, is supported.

Is it legal to unlock a PDF?

It is fine to unlock files that you own or have permission to modify. Removing protection from documents you have no right to may be illegal in your country.