Sign and secure
Unlock a PDF with its password
This tool removes the password from a PDF when you know it, in your browser, and saves a copy that opens without asking. It does not guess, crack or get around passwords: without the right one the file stays locked. Neither the file nor the password is uploaded.
or drop files here, or paste with Ctrl/Cmd+V
PDF · up to 50 files · 100 MB each
No file to hand?
Your files and password stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded. Check it yourself
How to use Unlock PDF
Add the locked PDFs
Drop one or more password-protected PDFs on the box. Up to 50 files.
Enter its password
Type the password you use to open it. Passwords are case-sensitive.
Unlock and download
Press Unlock PDF and save the copy, which opens without a password.
What unlocking does
An encrypted PDF stores its text and images scrambled with a key that can only be worked out from the password. Unlock PDF uses your password in your browser to decrypt every part of the file and writes a plain copy.
If the password is wrong, nothing is decrypted and you can try again. The tool only ever tries the password you type; it makes no guesses of its own.
A file that opens freely but has printing or copying restrictions is already readable, so it is unlocked without a password: the copy simply drops the restrictions.
Pages, text, images, links and bookmarks are kept as they were. Only the encryption is removed, and the original file on your device stays locked.
Questions about Unlock PDF
How do I remove a password from a PDF?
Add the PDF above, type the password that opens it and press Unlock PDF. PlumPDF decrypts the file in your browser and saves a copy without encryption. Your locked original is not changed.
Can PlumPDF unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. Unlock PDF needs the correct password and never tries to guess or crack one. Ask the person who sent the file, or check the email or website it came from: banks and tax offices often explain how their password is made, such as a date of birth plus part of an account number.
Why does it say the password is not right?
Passwords are case-sensitive, so check Caps Lock, and look for a space at the start or end if you pasted it. Some senders use a different password for every file. You can try again as often as you like.
What about PDFs that open but cannot be printed or copied?
Some PDFs open without a password but carry an owner password that restricts printing, copying or editing. Unlock PDF can save a copy without those restrictions, and no password is needed for that. Only do this for documents you have the right to change.
Why remove a password at all?
A protected PDF asks for its password every time, and many tools, including the other PlumPDF tools, cannot merge, split or convert it. Removing the password from your own copy makes it easier to work with. Keep the protected original if the file needs to stay private.
Can I unlock several PDFs at once?
Yes, when they share a password. Add up to 50 PDFs and type the password once: PlumPDF tries it on every file that needs one, and files that only have restrictions are unlocked without it. Any file the password does not open is listed by name, and the others are still unlocked.
Is my password sent anywhere?
No. The password is used only in your browser tab, on your device, and is gone when you close the tab. It is never uploaded, logged or sent to analytics.