Unlock PDF
Runs entirely in your browser
Remove password protection from a PDF you can already open. Enter the password once, and download a copy that opens without it — decrypted entirely in your browser, never uploaded to our servers.
Drag & drop a password-protected PDF here
or
Up to 50MB.
File
Enter the document's open password, or its owner/permissions password.
What is Unlock PDF?
Unlock PDF removes password encryption from a PDF, given a password that already opens it. It's the reverse of Protect PDF: instead of adding a password, it strips one away so the file can be opened, edited or shared freely afterward. It supports AES-256, AES-128 and legacy RC4 encrypted PDFs, decrypted entirely on your device.
How to use Unlock PDF
- Choose a password-protected PDF, or drag and drop it into the tool.
- Enter its password.
- Click Unlock PDF and download the file without a password.
Features
- Supports AES-256, AES-128 and legacy RC4-encrypted PDFs.
- Works with either the open password or the owner/permissions password.
- Keeps pages, text, images and formatting exactly as they were.
- 100% client-side — your PDF and password never leave your browser.
Example: clearing an old password so a new system can accept the file
Say you password-protected a scanned tax return a few years ago and still remember the password, but the portal you now need to upload it to rejects encrypted PDFs outright. Enter the password once in Unlock PDF, download the unlocked copy, and upload that version instead — the original protected file is left untouched on your device.
Things to know
- This is not a password-cracking or recovery tool. It removes encryption from a PDF using a password you already know; if you've genuinely forgotten the password, this tool can't help you get back in.
- As soon as a file loads, the tool checks whether it's actually encrypted and tells you immediately if there's nothing to unlock — you don't need to enter a password first to find that out.
- An incorrect password produces a clear "that password doesn't match" message rather than a generic failure, so you know to double-check what you typed rather than assume the file is broken.
- A PDF using an unusual or non-standard security handler produces an explicit error rather than a corrupted output file.
Is Unlock PDF safe?
Yes. Unlock PDF recognizes AES-256, AES-128 and legacy RC4 encryption and removes it locally in your browser once you supply a password that already opens the file — nothing you enter or upload ever reaches a server, and nothing is kept after you close the tab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know the password?
Yes. This tool removes password protection from a PDF you can already open — it can't guess, crack or recover a password you don't know. Enter either the document's open password or its permissions (owner) password.
What encryption does this support?
AES-256 and AES-128 (the PDF 2.0 and PDF 1.6+ standards), as well as legacy RC4 encryption. If a PDF uses an unusual or non-standard security handler, this tool will tell you rather than produce a broken file.
Will the unlocked PDF look any different?
No. Unlock PDF only removes the encryption and password requirement — the pages, text, images and formatting are left exactly as they were.
Can this add a password instead of removing one?
No, this tool only removes an existing password. To add password protection to a PDF, use Protect PDF.