Can this tool unlock a PDF if I don't know the password?

No. This tool is designed for removing protection from documents you have legitimate access to—meaning you know the password. It cannot crack, bypass, or guess passwords for PDFs you aren't authorized to access. If you've forgotten your own password, there's unfortunately no way to recover it; you'd need the original unprotected document.

My PDF opens without a password but I can't print or copy from it. How do I unlock it?

This type of PDF has a permissions password (also called an owner password) rather than an open password. To remove these restrictions, you'll need to provide that permissions password. If you're the document owner who set up these restrictions, enter your original permissions password. If someone else protected the document, you'll need to obtain the password from them.

Will unlocking a PDF change or damage the document content?

Not at all. Unlocking removes only the security layer—the encryption and restriction metadata. All actual document content (text, images, formatting, bookmarks, links, form fields) remains completely unchanged. Think of it as removing a lock from a file cabinet; the contents inside stay exactly as they were.

Why would I need to unlock my own PDF?

Common scenarios include: you protected a document for sharing but now need to edit it yourself, you're archiving files and want unrestricted copies for future use, you received a protected document from a colleague with the password and need to work with it freely, or you're consolidating documents and restrictions are preventing merge or edit operations.

Unlock PDF

How To Unlock PDF Online for Free

Upload the Protected PDF

Drag and drop your password-protected or restricted PDF. If it requires a password to open, you'll be prompted to enter it.

Enter the Password

Provide the password that protects the document. For open-password PDFs, enter the viewing password. For permission-restricted PDFs, enter the owner password.

Download Unlocked PDF

Once verified, click unlock to download a new copy of the document with all passwords and restrictions removed.

Remove password protection and permission restrictions from PDF documents when you have the legitimate password. Unlock your own protected files to enable printing, copying, editing, and form filling that was previously restricted. Perfect for regaining full access to documents you own but protected earlier, or for working with files where you've been given the password but need an unrestricted copy. The unlocking process runs entirely in your browser—your passwords and documents never leave your device. Note: this tool requires you to know the password; it cannot bypass security on PDFs you don't have authorization to access.

Everything You Need in a Unlock PDF

Remove open passwords

Remove open passwords that block document viewing

Clear permission restrictions

Clear permission restrictions to enable full document access

Restore printing capability

Restore printing capability on print-restricted documents

Enable text and

Enable text and image copying from copy-protected PDFs

Unlock editing and

Unlock editing and form-filling capabilities

Password verification happens

Password verification happens locally—credentials never transmitted

Frequently Asked Questions

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Process your PDFs with our collection of free, privacy-first tools. No uploads to servers, no registration required. Everything runs directly in your browser.