Unlock once, stop typing the password forever
Drop a password-protected PDF above, enter its password once, and download a copy that opens with no password at all. The classic use case: a bank statement, payslip, or tax form that arrives locked with a password you have to dig up every single time — unlock it once and file away the copy. Everything runs on your device; the PDF and the password are never uploaded to a server. Only unlock PDFs you own or have permission to unlock.
PDFs actually have two kinds of passwords. A user password (open password) is the one you must type before the file opens — this tool needs it to decrypt the file. An owner password only enforces restrictions like no printing, no copying, or no editing, while the PDF itself opens normally. If your file is owner-locked, the tool detects that automatically and can remove the restrictions without any password. Our guide to owner vs user PDF passwords covers the difference in depth.
One honest tradeoff: the unlocked file is a rasterized copy. Each page is re-rendered as a high-resolution image, which works reliably for every PDF but means text in the copy is no longer selectable or searchable. Pick a higher quality setting if you plan to print, or a lower one for a smaller file. If the result is bulky, run it through the PDF compressor. You can also combine unlocked files with the merge PDF tool, export pages as pictures with PDF to images, or stamp the unlocked copy with the PDF watermark tool.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an owner password and a user password?
A user password (open password) is the one you must type before the PDF opens at all — this tool needs it to decrypt the file. An owner password only enforces restrictions like no printing, copying, or editing, while the file itself opens normally. When you drop a file, the tool probes it automatically: if it is owner-locked only, it tells you so and can remove the restrictions without any password at all.
Can it crack a password I don’t know?
No. If a PDF requires a user password to open, that password is the decryption key — there is no way around it, and this tool does not attempt brute-forcing. You need the correct password; the tool simply saves you from typing it every time by producing a copy that opens freely.
Why can’t I select text in the unlocked PDF?
Because the output is a rasterized copy: each page is re-rendered as a high-resolution image and rebuilt into a new PDF. That approach works reliably for every PDF the browser can open, but it means text in the copy is no longer selectable or searchable, and the file can be larger than the original. Pick the higher quality settings if you plan to print.
Is it legal to remove a PDF password?
For files you own or have the right to use — your own bank statements, payslips, tax forms, invoices addressed to you — removing a password for convenience is the normal, intended use. Do not use it on documents you have no rights to; circumventing protection on someone else’s copyrighted material can be illegal in your jurisdiction.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The file is decrypted and re-rendered entirely in your browser using the pdf.js engine; neither the PDF nor the password ever leaves your device. That matters more here than for most tools, since password-protected PDFs are usually exactly the documents — statements, payslips, contracts — you least want on someone else’s server.