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Unlock a PDF

Remove the password and restrictions from a PDF you have the right to open.

Drop your file here

Remove password protection and permission restrictions from a PDF you have the right to open. If the file only blocks printing or copying, no password is needed.

How to use Unlock PDF

  1. Choose a protected PDF.
  2. If the PDF asks for a password when you open it, enter that password. Leave the box empty if it opens without one.
  3. Click Unlock PDF.
  4. Download the unlocked PDF.

What it does

  • Removes the open password when you enter the correct password.
  • Removes print, copy and edit restrictions from PDFs that open without a password.
  • Handles standard PDF password encryption: RC4, AES-128 and AES-256.
  • Accepts either the open (user) password or the owner password.
  • Keeps text and quality unchanged when the protection can be removed directly.

Good to know

  • It does not crack or guess passwords. A PDF that needs a password to open can only be unlocked with that password.
  • PDFs protected with certificates or other custom security handlers cannot be unlocked.
  • If the encryption cannot be removed directly, pages are rebuilt as images, so text is no longer selectable.

Your files and privacy

Decryption runs in your browser; your PDF and password are not uploaded to Docshar's server for processing. If you are signed in, Docshar counts your operations (tool, number of files, sizes and page counts), never the file contents. See the Privacy Policy.

Questions

Can it unlock a PDF without the password?

Only if the PDF opens without a password and just restricts printing, copying or editing. If it asks for a password to open, you need that password.

Will the unlocked PDF look the same?

Usually yes; text and quality stay the same. For some encryption types the pages are rebuilt as images instead, and the tool tells you when this happens.

What if my PDF is not protected?

The tool tells you nothing needed to be removed and gives you the same file back.