Unlock a PDF (remove the password)
FileReshape's Unlock PDF tool removes the password from a PDF when you know it, so the copy opens without one; with the permissions password it also lifts print, copy and editing restrictions. It runs in your browser with qpdf, and neither the file nor the password is uploaded. It does not guess, crack or bypass passwords: without the right one, nothing can be unlocked.
Did a file not convert correctly? E-mail [email protected], ideally with a small sample file, and it will be fixed.
Key facts
- Works with: PDF (.pdf).
- Your files are not uploaded: the work is done in your browser, on your own device.
- File size: no fixed limit; very large files are limited by your device's memory.
- Needs a current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari) on a computer, tablet or phone; nothing to install.
- Free to use, with no sign-up.
Why remove the password from a PDF
Banks, insurers, payroll systems and tax offices often send statements as password-protected PDFs, and the password that keeps the e-mail safe soon becomes a nuisance: it has to be typed every time the file is opened, a scanner app or an accounting system cannot read the file, and a merge or a compression tool refuses it. If you know the password, this tool makes a copy without it. Choose the PDF, type the password and download the unlocked copy, which opens straight away in every reader and works in the other tools on this site. Some PDFs open without a password but forbid printing, copying or changes; the author set a second, permissions password for that, and typing it here removes those restrictions too. The decryption is done by qpdf, a widely used open-source PDF program, running as WebAssembly in this page, so neither the document nor the password leaves your device. Keep the unlocked copy where only you can reach it, since anyone can now read it.
How to remove a password from a PDF
- Drop your password-protected PDF in the box, or click to choose it.
- Type the password; the page says whether it is the password to open the file or a permissions password.
- Click Unlock PDF and download the copy without the password.
What changes when you convert
You need to know the password
This tool does not try passwords, guess them or get around them. A PDF that is encrypted with a password to open can only be decrypted with that password, and if it is lost, ask the sender for the password or for a new copy. Statements from banks and authorities often use a date of birth, an account or customer number or a postcode; the letter or e-mail that came with the file usually says which.
Restrictions need their own password
Typing the password that opens the file removes that password, but any limits the author set on printing, copying or changes stay in the copy, because only the permissions password may lift them. The page tells you which restrictions are in place after you choose the file and again in the result.
Upper case, lower case and keyboard layout
Passwords are exact: Secret and secret are different, and a password typed on a German or French keyboard can give other characters than on an English one, for example Y and Z swapped. Tick Show the password to see what you typed. Letters such as å, é or ß work, as long as they are the same as when the file was protected.
Digital signatures
The unlocked copy is a rewritten file, so a digital signature in it is no longer valid. Keep the original when the signature matters, for example for a contract or an official decision, and use the copy for reading, printing or archiving.
About the formats
PDF (Portable Document Format) was created by Adobe in 1993 and has been an ISO standard since 2008. A PDF looks the same on every device, which is why it is used for contracts, invoices, forms, manuals and scanned documents.
- A page can hold text, vector graphics and images, each placed exactly.
- Scanned documents are usually one image per page.
- A PDF can be protected with a password that is needed to open or edit it.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF or my password uploaded?
No. qpdf runs inside this web page on your device, the password is only used there to decrypt the file, and nothing is sent to a server or saved.
Can you open a PDF if I have forgotten the password?
No. The content is encrypted, and this tool only removes a password you type. Ask whoever sent the file for the password or for an unprotected copy.
Is it legal to remove a PDF password?
Removing the password from your own document, or from one you were given the password for, is normal. Do not use it to get around restrictions on documents that are not yours to change; if in doubt, ask the author.
Why does the PDF still have restrictions after I unlocked it?
You typed the password that opens it, which is removed. Printing, copying or editing limits set by the author can only be lifted with the separate permissions password, so they stay until you unlock the copy with that one.