Unlock PDF — Remove a Known PDF Password

What it does

Bank statements, payslips and shared reports often ask for a password every time you open them. To stop typing it, or to edit the file in another PDF tool, you need a copy without the password. Add the PDF here, type the password you were given, and the tool saves a copy that opens freely. Printing, copying and editing restrictions were set by the author, so they are lifted only when you enter the permissions (owner) password; with just the open password, only the open password is removed and the original restrictions stay. Use the tool only on documents you own or have permission to change.

When you add a file, the tool first checks its protection and tells you which of three cases it is: no password, a password to open, or no open password but permission restrictions. The last kind can only be unlocked with its permissions (owner) password. This is not a tool for opening files whose password you don’t know.

How to use

1. Drop one PDF on the box or press Choose PDF. The first time, the PDF engine (about 1.3 MB) is downloaded from this site.
2. Read the status under the file name. For restricted files it lists what is blocked.
3. Type the password. Tick Show password if you want to see what you type.
4. Press Unlock or Enter.
5. Download name-unlocked.pdf.

How it works

• Engine: qpdf 12.2.0 (Apache-2.0), the open-source PDF toolkit, compiled to WebAssembly. With the permissions password its --decrypt mode writes a copy without encryption. With the open password on a restricted file, the copy is re-saved with AES-256, no open password and the original restrictions. Pages, text, links and bookmarks are kept either way.
• Encryption types: every standard PDF scheme can be read: RC4 (40 and 128 bit), AES-128 and AES-256.
• Accepted passwords: for files with an open password, either the open password (removes only the open password) or the permissions password works. For files that open without one, only the permissions password is accepted.
• Limits: one file up to 100 MB. The work runs in a background thread, so the page stays responsive.
• Nothing is sent: the file and the password never leave your browser; only the engine file is downloaded from this site.

Examples

Situation	What to do
Statement protected with your date of birth	Type the date as instructed → Unlock
Company form that cannot be printed, no open password	Enter the permissions password from the author → Unlock
A file without any password	The tool says there is nothing to remove
Typo in the password	“Wrong password” message; type it again

To add a password instead, use Protect PDF. After unlocking you can continue with Merge PDF or any other PDF tool.