Unlock PDF: remove password & restrictions online
Free in-browser PDF unlocker. Removes the open password (with the password you know) and strips owner restrictions on copying, editing and printing. Batch up to 10 files with the same password. Powered by PDF.js + pdf-lib — your PDF and password never leave your device.
Drop locked PDF here
Or click to choose. Up to 10 files. Same password applies to all.
Choose PDFsWhen to unlock a PDF
Bank statements
Monthly bank statements are usually locked with your account number or birthdate. Unlock once, keep an open copy.
Invoices & bills
Vendor invoices arrive with copy/edit/print restrictions. Unlock to paste numbers into accounting software.
Forms & transcripts
University transcripts and government forms often block printing. Unlock to print a hard copy you need to file.
Editable templates
Marketing or proposal templates protected from edits. Unlock to customise then re-export.
How to unlock a PDF online
Drop in the locked PDF
Drag and drop the PDF or click Choose. Up to 10 at once — they all need the same password.
Type the password
If the PDF asks for a password when you open it in Acrobat, type the same one here. Leave blank for restriction-only PDFs.
Click Unlock & download
The PDF is decrypted in your browser and a new, unlocked copy is offered for download.
Unlock PDF — frequently asked questions
Drop the PDF in, type the password you use to open it, and click Unlock. If the PDF only has owner restrictions (no open password), leave the field blank — the restrictions are removed automatically. The unlocked PDF is created in your browser and downloaded directly.
Yes if the PDF asks for a password to open (the user / open password). This tool will not guess or crack passwords — that would be unethical. If the PDF only has owner restrictions (locks against copy / edit / print but opens without a password), no password is needed.
For restriction-only PDFs (no open password): yes — fonts, text and layout are kept; only the encryption flag is removed. For password-protected PDFs: pages are re-rendered as high-resolution images and embedded into a new PDF. The result looks identical and prints identically, but text becomes part of the image rather than selectable. Pair with our PDF OCR tool to restore text searchability.
No. Decryption runs entirely in your browser using PDF.js (Mozilla) and pdf-lib. The PDF and the password never leave your device. You can confirm in your browser's network tab — no upload requests fire.
The user password (a.k.a. open password) blocks the PDF from being opened at all. The owner password restricts what you can do with it once open — copy text, edit, print, fill forms. Both are removed by this tool.
Unlocking a PDF you own or are authorised to read is legal in nearly all jurisdictions. Removing protection from a PDF you do not own or are not authorised to access can be a copyright or computer-misuse violation. By using this tool you confirm you have the right to unlock the document.
How PDF passwords work
PDF supports two kinds of password protection:
- User password (open password) — required to open the document. Without it, no reader can show the content. Removing it requires knowing the password.
- Owner password (permissions) — does not block opening. It restricts copying, editing, printing, form filling and annotation. Many readers honour these flags voluntarily; some do not.
How this tool unlocks
We try two paths in order:
- Restriction-only fast path. If the PDF opens without a password but has owner restrictions, we load it with
pdf-libusingignoreEncryption: trueand re-save without the encryption dictionary. Original fonts, text and structure are preserved. - Password-required image rebuild. If the PDF requires a password, we hand the password to
PDF.js, which decrypts each page. We render every page to a 144 DPI canvas, then embed those images back into a new PDF withpdf-lib. The result opens everywhere without a password but text is no longer selectable.
Privacy
Everything runs in this tab. Your password is held in a JavaScript variable for the duration of the unlock and discarded when you close the page. No PDF bytes, no password, and no metadata are ever sent over the network.