Can this open a PDF when I do not know the password?

No, and it never will. Removing a password you hold is a filing task; recovering one you do not is an attack on a document somebody chose not to give you. If you have lost the password to your own file, the honest answer is that you need whoever created it, or a dedicated recovery tool run under your own responsibility — not this page.

What is the difference between the two kinds of password?

A user password stops the file from opening at all; without it the contents are genuinely encrypted and unreadable. An owner password leaves the file readable by anyone and only asks readers to disable printing, copying or editing. The second is a request, not a lock, which is why it can be removed without knowing anything.

Will the text still be selectable afterwards?

Yes. This changes only the encryption, so text, links, bookmarks, form fields and page structure all come through unchanged. The common workaround — opening the file and printing it back to PDF — destroys all of that and leaves you with images of pages.

Is a password-protected PDF actually secure?

With 256-bit AES and a strong password, yes, in the sense that the contents cannot be read without it. It is not access control, though: whoever has the file and the password has the file forever, and can pass on both. If you need to revoke access later, a PDF password is the wrong tool.

No. The PDF is read in your browser and processed by qpdf compiled to WebAssembly, which downloads once at about 1.3 MB and then runs entirely on your device. Your files are never uploaded.

Does it work on large PDFs?

Yes, and quickly — the work is proportional to the file size rather than the page count, so even a few hundred megabytes takes seconds. Very large files are limited by the memory a browser tab can use, not by any rule we impose.

Remove a PDF password — or add one

Two different locks get called "password protected". One stops the file opening at all; the other lets anyone open it and refuses to print or copy. This removes either, in your browser, leaving the text and pages exactly as they were. It cannot recover a password you have forgotten — that is not a missing feature, it is the line between a tool and a cracking utility.

Your PDF
Drop a PDF here — or click to choose
PDF
Your files are never uploaded — everything runs on your device.
This removes a password you already know, and removes restrictions that need no password. It cannot recover a password you have forgotten.
What to do
Your file

How to remove a PDF password

Add the PDF

Drag the file in or click to choose it. It is read on your device — a locked PDF is never sent anywhere, which matters more here than on most pages.
Choose remove or add

For removal, the tool checks the file and asks for the password only if the file actually needs one to open. Restrictions on printing and copying need no password and are removed either way.
Download the result

You get an ordinary PDF with the same text, pages and layout — nothing is flattened into images and nothing is re-typed. Adding a password works the same way, with 256-bit AES.

What you get

The document survives intact

Decryption rewrites the file's encryption, not its contents. Text stays selectable, links keep working, form fields keep their values, and the page count is unchanged — unlike print-to-PDF workarounds, which flatten everything into pictures of a document.

Restrictions come off without any password

A PDF that opens fine but refuses to print carries an owner password you were never meant to have. That restriction is enforced by the reader, not by encryption, so removing it needs nothing from you.

Real encryption when you add one

256-bit AES, with the owner password set to match rather than left blank — a blank owner password is what "protected" PDFs with no actual protection are made of, and any tool that knows the trick strips them instantly.

The file never leaves your device

Every other free PDF unlocker uploads your document to a server and asks you to trust what happens next. This one is qpdf compiled to WebAssembly and running in the tab, so the question does not arise.

Frequently asked questions

Can this open a PDF when I do not know the password?: No, and it never will. Removing a password you hold is a filing task; recovering one you do not is an attack on a document somebody chose not to give you. If you have lost the password to your own file, the honest answer is that you need whoever created it, or a dedicated recovery tool run under your own responsibility — not this page.
What is the difference between the two kinds of password?: A user password stops the file from opening at all; without it the contents are genuinely encrypted and unreadable. An owner password leaves the file readable by anyone and only asks readers to disable printing, copying or editing. The second is a request, not a lock, which is why it can be removed without knowing anything.
Will the text still be selectable afterwards?: Yes. This changes only the encryption, so text, links, bookmarks, form fields and page structure all come through unchanged. The common workaround — opening the file and printing it back to PDF — destroys all of that and leaves you with images of pages.
Is a password-protected PDF actually secure?: With 256-bit AES and a strong password, yes, in the sense that the contents cannot be read without it. It is not access control, though: whoever has the file and the password has the file forever, and can pass on both. If you need to revoke access later, a PDF password is the wrong tool.
Is my file uploaded?: No. The PDF is read in your browser and processed by qpdf compiled to WebAssembly, which downloads once at about 1.3 MB and then runs entirely on your device. Your files are never uploaded.
Does it work on large PDFs?: Yes, and quickly — the work is proportional to the file size rather than the page count, so even a few hundred megabytes takes seconds. Very large files are limited by the memory a browser tab can use, not by any rule we impose.

Need to black out something instead? Use the redaction tool, which removes the text rather than covering it. To split, merge or rotate pages, use the PDF toolkit.

Your PDF

What to do

Your file