Unlock PDF

Remove password protection from a PDF you own. Enter the password to produce an unrestricted copy. Your files never leave your device.

Private by design

Your files never leave your device. All processing happens locally in your browser — no uploads, no servers.

Decrypting a password-protected PDF is temporarily unavailable in this browser build (the bundled qpdf WASM lacks a crypto provider).

Drop your PDF here

or click to choose a file

Your files never leave your device.

Password (required to unlock)

Removes password protection from a PDF you own. You must know the current password.

Unlock PDF removes password protection from a PDF you own, given the correct password, producing a decrypted copy you can open without a password. Decryption runs entirely in your browser via qpdf-wasm — your file and password never leave your device. You must already know the password; this is not a password-recovery tool.

How it works

How to use Unlock PDF

1
Drop your PDF. Drag and drop a password-protected PDF file onto the drop zone, or click to choose a file from your device.
2
Enter the password. Type the current password for the PDF. You must own the document or have authorization to remove its protection.
3
Click Run Unlock PDF. The tool decrypts your PDF locally in a Web Worker using qpdf-wasm. Your file and password never leave your device.
4
Download the unlocked PDF. The decrypted, unrestricted PDF is offered as a download. It can be opened without a password.

Features

What this tool does

Remove user-password protection
Produce an unrestricted decrypted copy
Supports AES-256, AES-128, and RC4-40 encrypted PDFs
No upload — runs entirely in your browser

Limitations

Things to know

You must have the correct password — this is not a password-recovery tool
Cannot remove owner-password restrictions without the owner password
The decrypted copy has no password protection — store it securely

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is my file or password uploaded anywhere?

No. Decryption happens entirely in your browser using a Web Worker and qpdf-wasm. Your file and password never leave your device.

Can this tool recover a forgotten password?

No. Unlock PDF requires you to already know the password. It removes protection from a PDF you own. It is not a password-recovery or cracking tool.

What encryption types are supported?

AES-256, AES-128, and RC4-40 encrypted PDFs are supported via qpdf-wasm. If your PDF uses an unsupported encryption method, you will see a clear error message.

What happens to the decrypted copy?

The output is a standard PDF with no password protection. Anyone with access to the file can open it — store it securely and delete it when no longer needed.