Restore an older document
Use the known password on an older PDF you own to create a copy that opens without a password. If the password is forgotten, retrieve it from your records or the document owner first.
๐ Manage PDF
๐ Unlock PDF
Remove PDF passwords and restrictions you are allowed to remove.
Unlock PDF saves an unencrypted copy of a PDF you own or are authorized to modify. Enter its known password if required. It cannot recover or guess a forgotten password; some files without an opening password can be processed with the field blank.
Drop PDF file here
or click to browse ยท Up to 1 file ยท 100 MB max
Choose a file to begin.
Tool guidance maintained by Leslie ่ทฏ Updated November 6, 2026. Report an incorrect result.
How to use Unlock PDF
- Upload the protected PDF.
- Enter the password if the file opens with one.
- Click Unlock PDF.
- Download the unlocked document.
Features
- Removes encryption and restrictions
- Works with user-password-protected files
- No file uploads
- Known-password workflow
Illustrative workflows
These scenarios explain how to check your own output; they are not claims of a recorded browser test.
Prepare an editable copy
Unlock an authorized copy to add page numbers or watermarks with another tool.
Create a working copy with a known password
Use this for a document you own or have permission to modify, for example when you need to add page numbers to a report you previously protected. Enter the known opening password when required, save the unlocked result, then use that copy in the next tool. The original protected file is not overwritten.
An incorrect-password message can also indicate a file the library cannot process. Recheck the password and whether the source opens in a PDF reader. This tool does not guess passwords or recover forgotten ones. Treat the unlocked download as an unencrypted copy: anyone who receives it no longer needs the original opening password. Check any forms or signature status separately.
Reopen a decrypted copy without its sample password
Download the sample input below. The reference output was generated in a local processor test on November 6, 2026.
Open the sample and enter its public test password, fixture-user-only. Select Unlock PDF, then download your result.
Check the result
Close the reader, then open the downloaded copy. It should show all three labeled pages without asking for a password.
Download the reference output (PDF)Frequently asked questions
Only when you are authorized to do so. Files protected by a user password require that password.
The tool loads and saves the document without encryption. Check pages, forms, annotations, and signatures in the output; unchanged behavior for every PDF feature is not guaranteed.
Only unlock files you own or have permission to modify.
If the file requires a password to open, enter a known valid password. A file with no opening password may work with the field blank. The tool does not bypass unknown passwords.