Unlock PDF
Remove password protection from PDFs you own — when you know the correct password. Processing runs locally; nothing is uploaded.
Why PDFs are password-protected
Organizations add passwords to stop casual opening of contracts, payslips, or medical PDFs. Acrobat and other apps can set an open password (you must type it to view) or permissions that restrict printing and editing. Legitimate reasons to “unlock” include: you set the password yourself and want a plain copy for archival; you received a file from your employer with a known password and need an unprotected version for a workflow that does not support passwords; or you are consolidating files you already have rights to.
This page uses pdf-lib to load each PDF with the password you supply, copy pages into a new document, and save without encryption. If you forgot the password entirely, this tool cannot help — recovery would require password-cracking software, which we do not provide and which may violate law or policy. In that situation, request an unprotected copy from the sender or recreate the document from the original source files (Word, InDesign, scans).
If you truly cannot recover access, treat it as a permissions problem: contact the document owner, use official account-recovery channels, or restore from backup — not unauthorized decryption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this unlock PDFs without a password?
No. This tool requires the original password. It does not crack or bypass PDF encryption — that would be illegal in many jurisdictions. If you have forgotten the password entirely, you will need to recreate the PDF from the original source or obtain a new copy from the author.
Are my files uploaded?
No. pdf-lib runs entirely in your browser; your PDF bytes never leave your device.
Why did unlock fail?
Usually wrong password, a corrupted PDF, or a format pdf-lib cannot parse. Double-check caps lock and try again.
Can I batch-unlock many PDFs?
Yes — add multiple files. The same password is tried for each file that needs one.
Does this remove editing restrictions only?
Re-saving to a new PDF typically produces an unencrypted file you can open without a password. Some advanced rights management may not be fully represented — verify the output.