The free Unlock PDF tool removes password protection and usage restrictions from a document. Upload your file and download an unlocked copy with the protection removed. It is free, adds no watermark, and needs no account.
There are two kinds of protection on a PDF, and the tool handles them a little differently, so it is worth being clear about what it can and cannot do.
How to Unlock a PDF
- Upload your PDF. Select the protected file or drag it onto the upload area.
- Enter the password if needed. If the file requires a password to open, type the password you know. If it only has printing or copying restrictions, no password is needed.
- Unlock. The tool removes the protection.
- Download. Save the unlocked PDF to your device.
What This Tool Can and Cannot Do
Usage restrictions can be removed directly. If a PDF opens normally but will not let you print or copy from it, those are permission restrictions, and the tool can strip them so you can use the document freely.
An open password can only be removed if you know it. When a PDF is encrypted so that it will not open without a password, that password is the decryption key, and the tool cannot bypass it. You must enter the correct password, and the tool will then produce an unlocked copy. To be completely honest: no legitimate tool can open a password-encrypted PDF without the password, because that is the whole point of the encryption. Any tool that claims to unlock a file whose open password you do not know is either only removing restrictions, or attempting to guess the password, which is unreliable and not something we do. If you have genuinely lost the password to your own file, there is no way to recover the content.
Is My File Safe?
Your files are handled securely, and we never store the password you enter. Uploaded PDFs are deleted from our servers immediately after processing, whether it succeeds or fails. The unlocked result is stored under a random, unguessable name and stays available to download for up to two hours, then it is automatically and permanently deleted. All uploads and downloads use a secure HTTPS connection.
When to Unlock a PDF
- Removing restrictions from your own file. Strip printing or copying limits from a document you are allowed to use.
- Simplifying access. Remove a password from a file you own so you do not have to enter it every time.
- Preparing for other tools. Unlock a file so it can be merged, converted, or edited.
- Cleaning up a shared document. Remove protection that is no longer needed on a file you have the password for.
Related PDF Tools
Need to add protection instead? Lock a PDF with a password. To truly remove sensitive content, use Redact PDF. You can also add a watermark.
