Add or remove a PDF password
Add or remove password protection on a PDF.
To password protect PDF files, upload one, choose Add password, type a password and download the encrypted copy. The tool uses AES-256 encryption and sets the same password for opening and for changing permissions. You can also choose whether printing and copying text are allowed. To unlock a PDF, choose Remove password and enter the correct password; the tool cannot guess or crack a lost one.
How to add a password to a PDF
Choose a PDF up to 25 MiB, keep the action on Add password and enter your password. Two checkboxes control whether people can print or copy text; both are on by default. Submit and download the file, which is named after the original with -protected added. Anyone opening it is asked for the password.
How to remove a password
Switch the action to Remove password, upload the protected PDF and type its current password. If it is correct, you get an unlocked copy named with -unlocked. If it is wrong, the tool says the password is incorrect and produces nothing. It cannot recover forgotten passwords, so keep a record of the ones you set.
Print and copy permissions
The print and copy options only apply when adding a password. They are written into the file as permission flags, and well-behaved PDF readers respect them, but permissions are not a strong barrier by themselves. Because the same password is used for both opening and permissions, anyone who has it can open the file and lift the limits in many programs.
Before you send the file
Open the protected PDF in a viewer and type the password to confirm it works. Share the password through a different channel than the file. Because the password is typed into a web form, avoid reusing one you use for important accounts. If you need to work on the file afterwards, such as with Merge PDF, unlock it first, because other tools reject encrypted PDFs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I password protect a PDF?
Upload the PDF, leave the action as Add password, enter the password you want and submit. You download an AES-256 encrypted copy that asks for the password every time it is opened.
How do I remove a password from a PDF?
Choose Remove password, upload the protected file and enter its current password. If the password is correct you get an unlocked copy to download. A wrong password returns an error and no file.
Can this tool unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. Removing protection requires the correct password. The tool does not guess, crack or bypass passwords, so if you have forgotten it, the file stays locked and you need to find the password elsewhere.
What encryption does the PDF password use?
Added passwords use AES-256 encryption through the PyMuPDF library. How safe the file is still depends on picking a long, unguessable password, because a short or common one is easy to guess whatever the cipher.
Can I stop people from printing or copying my PDF?
You can untick Allow printing and Allow copying when adding a password. These are permission flags that most readers honour, but they are not a guarantee, and anyone who knows the password can open the file.
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