Lock/Unlock PDF
Add a password a PDF needs to be opened, restrict what a reader without it can do, or remove a password you already know. Nothing is uploaded — it all happens in your browser.
Free · No sign-up · Files stay on your device
How to use it
- Step 1
Add your PDF
Drag it onto the page, paste it, or choose it from your device. Nothing is uploaded.
- Step 2
Adjust the settings
Pick the options you need and check the preview.
- Step 3
Download the result
Save it, or continue straight into another tool.
More about this tool
Locking writes a real password into the PDF’s own encryption — the same AES-256 every current PDF reader already supports, not a note asking someone nicely not to open it. A password to open the file is one thing; a separate permissions password is another, restricting printing, copying or editing even for a reader who was never asked for a password at all. Unlocking runs the other way: given the password a protected file already has, it writes out the same document without it.
When to use it
Locking, before sending a document that should only reach the person it is addressed to, or one that should be readable but not edited or printed further. Unlocking, once a file you have the password to no longer needs protecting — after that, printing, copying and editing all work again at no cost to fidelity.
What it will not do
This only removes a password you already know. It does not recover a forgotten one, and it does not attempt to bypass or crack protection on a file that is not yours to open — if that describes the file, this is not the right tool, and no tool run in a browser tab honestly is one.
Common questions
How strong is the password protection?
It uses AES-256, the PDF standard’s own encryption, which every current PDF reader supports. With an open password set, the file cannot be viewed without it.
What is the difference between an open password and a permissions password?
An open password is needed to view the file at all. A permissions password restricts printing, copying or editing, even for a reader who is never asked for a password.
Can it remove a password I forgot?
No. It removes a password only when you enter it. It does not recover forgotten passwords or bypass protection on a file that is not yours to open.
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