How to use it
- Choose your PDFs, or drop them on the box. Several at once is fine.
- PDFs that open normally but won't let you print, copy or edit are unlocked straight away. Press Download on each, or download all as a ZIP.
- If a PDF asks for a password to open, type it in Open password and press Try again with the password. The password stays in this tab and is gone when you close it.
Two kinds of PDF locks
A PDF can carry two different passwords. A user password (or open password) is needed to open the file at all. An owner password (or permissions password) lets anyone open the file, but tells PDF readers not to allow printing, copying text or editing.
The second kind is a request, not real protection. As the QPDF manual puts it, the restrictions are "solely enforced by the software": any program that can show the PDF has what it needs to read it. That's why this tool can remove them without a password, and why it's no security risk to your own files.
| The PDF… | What happens |
|---|---|
| Opens normally, but printing, copying or editing is blocked | Restrictions removed. You get a new copy; the original isn't changed. |
| Asks for a password to open, and you know it | Type it in, and you get a copy that opens without a password. |
| Asks for a password, and you don't know it | Nothing. This site never tries to guess or crack passwords. |
| Has no lock at all | Nothing to do: you're told so, and you can keep the original. |
The other PDF tools unlock too
Merge PDF, Split PDF, Organize PDF pages and Compress PDF remove edit restrictions by themselves when a PDF has them, and say so next to the result. Bank statements, payslips and official forms often come with such restrictions.
Use it on files you're allowed to change
Unlock your own documents, or ones you have permission to edit. Removing a restriction doesn't change who owns a document or what you're allowed to do with its content. See the terms of use.
Questions
- Can it open a PDF if I've forgotten the password?
- No. It only removes a password you type in. Forgotten-password recovery means guessing, which this site doesn't do.
- Will the unlocked PDF look different?
- No. The pages, text, images, links and form fields stay as they are; only the encryption and the restriction flags are removed. Digital signatures, if the PDF had any, no longer validate, because the file has changed.
- Is my PDF or password uploaded?
- No. QPDF runs inside your browser tab. The PDF and the password never leave your device. See how to check it yourself.
- Why is the unlocked file a different size?
- The file is written out again without encryption, so its size can change a little. Nothing is removed from the pages.