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Unlock

Remove restrictions and password from PDF files

or drop a PDF here

No file selected

Files stay private. Automatically deleted after 2 hours.

Step by step

How To Unlock a PDF

Remove the password and restrictions from a PDF you own — give the owner password once and the file comes back free.

  1. 1

    Upload the locked PDF

    Drop in the protected file — the password card appears before anything else, naming the file it belongs to.

    The Owner password for pt-out.pdf card — Provide the document owner password to enable all permissions — with the password box and a greyed-out Continue button
  2. 2

    Enter the owner password

    That is the password whoever created the file set — the one that controls printing, copying and editing. Type it in; the eye button shows what you typed, and Continue lights up.

    The same owner-password card with the password typed in and the Continue button now active
  3. 3

    Unlock & download

    Press Unlock PDF and the ready page hands back the free file. In our test the output opened with no password at all, keeping all four pages, images and text as they were.

    The ready page showing the unlocked pt-out.pdf — 4.2 KB · 4 pages · deleted automatically after two hours — above the Download button
  • Restrictions cleared

    The password and the print, copy and edit flags all come off in one run.

  • Owner password

    The card asks once for the password whoever created the file set.

  • Peek while typing

    The eye button reveals the password so long ones can be checked.

  • Yours to open

    Made for files you own — knowing the password is the proof.

  • Page-for-page

    Pages, images and text come back exactly as they were.

  • Private by default

    No account, no watermark — and every file is automatically deleted after 2 hours.

Unlock — frequently asked questions

Can it open any locked PDF?

Only files you can open or own. The tool removes the password and permission locks when you know the password — it never guesses or cracks anything.

What happens to the restrictions in the unlocked copy?

They're gone — the copy opens with no password and no permission limits, in every viewer. Keep it somewhere safe, since anyone holding it can open it freely.

Is Unlock free?

Yes — Unlock is free right here in your browser, with no watermark and no sign-up. Every tool on the site works the same way.

Do I need an account to use Unlock?

No. Accounts are optional — they keep your credits, API keys and settings together. The tools work signed-out.

What happens to my file?

Every upload is stored under an unguessable id and deleted automatically after 2 hours. Nothing is listed, shared or emailed anywhere.

Can I run Unlock from the API?

Yes — every tool has a REST endpoint. An API call for this tool costs 10 credits per file; browser use stays free. See the Plans & pricing page for plans and the API page for the endpoint list.

More answers on the Help page. Building with the API? Plans & pricing.