Archive protected documents
Keep statements, payslips or tax notices you received encrypted in a personal archive that opens directly.
Unlock a PDF
Remove the password from a PDF whose code you know and get a copy without encryption or printing and copying restrictions. Processed locally, with no attempt to guess the password.
- Export
Your files are processed locally in your browser and are never sent to our servers.
Drop your file here
Recommended size: up to 100 MB
Enter the current PDF password.
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How does this tool work?
Unlocking a PDF removes the encryption from a document whose password you know, giving you a copy that opens directly. It helps when you want to archive a protected bank statement or payslip without typing the code each time, or when you need to merge, compress or annotate an encrypted document. The operation runs in your browser and bypasses no protection: the correct password is required.
You enter the document’s current password. The qpdf engine, running as WebAssembly in the page, uses it to decrypt the file and then saves a new copy without encryption or restrictions. Page content is not changed.
If the password is wrong, processing stops with an error message and no file is produced. There is no guessing and no brute-force attack: the tool removes a protection you are entitled to lift, it does not open a document whose code you do not know.
A PDF that opens without a password but blocks printing or copying is unlocked with its owner password. The resulting copy has no restrictions, so you can keep working on it with the other PDF tools.
How to use this tool
Import the protected PDF
Choose the encrypted document; it is not uploaded.
Enter its password
Type the open password, or the owner password for a document that is only restricted.
Download the unlocked copy
The new file opens without a password; the original stays protected.
Use cases
Rework an encrypted document
Unlock a PDF before merging it, compressing it or extracting pages.
Lift printing restrictions
Regain the ability to print or copy a document whose owner password you know.
Examples
Encrypted bank statement
With a wrong password, the tool shows an error and produces no file: it never tries to guess the code.
Input
statement-2026-09.pdf, protected, with the bank-supplied password entered correctlyResult
Unencrypted copy that any reader opens directlyTips and best practices
- Only keep the unlocked version on a device or storage you trust: it is no longer protected.
- To protect the document again after editing, use Password protect a PDF.
- If a bank or employer gave you the password, check capitals and format (date of birth, customer number).
Sources and references
Frequently asked questions
Can I open a PDF without knowing its password?
No. The tool does not try to guess or crack the password: you must supply the right one to decrypt the document.
What happens if I enter the wrong password?
Processing fails with an error message, no file is created and you can try again.
Is the original document changed?
No. A new unencrypted copy is downloaded; your protected file stays as it is.
Are printing and copying restrictions removed?
Yes. The unlocked copy has neither encryption nor limited permissions.
Do content or quality change?
No. Only the encryption is removed; text, images and layout are kept.
Is the password I enter kept?
No. It is used once, in your browser, to decrypt the file and is then discarded.
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