Unlock a PDF
Remove the password and restrictions from a PDF you can open.
PDFPDF
or drop them here
Processed on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Unlock a PDF to remove its password and its restrictions on printing, copying and editing. You get a normal PDF that opens without asking for anything and works in every other tool, from merging and splitting to converting to Word.
The PDF is unlocked inside your browser. Neither the file nor the password is uploaded, which matters for the documents that tend to be locked in the first place: bank statements, payslips, tax forms and contracts.
It’s free, with no sign-up and no watermark. If the PDF needs a password to open, you have to know that password: this tool removes protection from files you can already open, it doesn’t guess or crack passwords.
How to use Unlock PDF
Add your locked PDF
Drop the protected PDF onto the page, or choose it from your device. You can add several files that share a password.
Type the password if there is one
Enter the password you use to open the file. Leave the box empty for PDFs that open normally but won’t print, copy or edit.
Click Unlock PDF
Press Unlock PDF. The protection is removed and nothing else about the document changes.
Download
Save the unlocked copy. Your original file is left as it was.
Two kinds of PDF protection
PDFs can be protected in two different ways, and it helps to know which one you have:
- A password to open the file. The PDF asks for it before showing anything. You need to type that password here once, and the unlocked copy won’t ask again.
- Restrictions on what you can do. The PDF opens normally but printing, copying text, editing or filling in forms is switched off. These are removed without a password: leave the box empty.
When unlocking a PDF is useful
Banks, insurers and employers often send statements and payslips locked with a password such as your date of birth or account number. That’s sensible in email, and tiresome when you need to upload the file to a visa, loan or tax portal that rejects protected PDFs.
Unlocking is also the first step before using other tools. Merge PDF, Split PDF, Compress PDF and the converters can’t read a locked file, so unlock it here, then carry on with the unlocked copy.
Only unlock documents you have the right to use. Removing restrictions from a file doesn’t change who owns what’s in it.
What happens to the file
Pages, text, images, links and bookmarks are copied across as they are, so the unlocked PDF looks identical and its text stays selectable. Only the encryption is removed.
Because the work happens on your own device, the password you type never leaves it. Once you’ve unlocked a sensitive document, keep the unlocked copy somewhere safe, since anyone who has it can now open it.
Questions people ask
Is it free to unlock a PDF?
Yes. Unlocking is free, with no account, no watermark and no limit on how many files you unlock.
Is it safe to type my PDF password here?
Yes. The PDF is unlocked in your browser. The file and the password are never uploaded, so they stay on your device.
Can I unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
Not if the PDF needs that password to open. This tool doesn’t guess or crack passwords. If the PDF opens normally and only blocks printing or editing, no password is needed.
How do I remove the password from a bank statement PDF?
Add the statement, type the password your bank gave you (often a date of birth or account number), and click Unlock PDF. The copy you download opens without a password.
How do I print or copy text from a restricted PDF?
Add the PDF, leave the password box empty and click Unlock PDF. The unlocked copy can be printed, copied from and edited.
Does unlocking change the quality of the PDF?
No. Pages are copied as they are, so text stays selectable and images keep their resolution.
Can I unlock several PDFs at once?
Yes, as long as they share the same password or have no opening password. Each file comes back as its own unlocked PDF.