PDF Protect & Unlock Pro
Lock a PDF with a password so it cannot be opened without it, or take a password off a PDF when you already know it. The encryption is done by qpdf running in your browser tab. Free preview · Pro required to export. Encrypt or unlock your PDF and check the result on the first page. Pro saves the finished file.
Free preview · Pro required to export. Encrypt or unlock your PDF and check the result on the first page. Pro saves the finished file.
Why use this tool?
- Contracts, payslips and ID scans are sensitive, and a password stops anyone who gets the file by mistake from reading it.
- Uploading a document to a website in order to protect it defeats the purpose; here the file never leaves the tab.
- If you are tired of typing a password every time you open a PDF you own, you can save an unlocked copy.
- You can decide what a reader may do once the file is open: print, copy text, edit, or comment and fill forms.
How to use PDF Protect & Unlock
- Drop a PDF onto "Drop a PDF here or click to browse". If the file already has a password, the tool switches to removing it.
- To lock it, choose "Add a password", enter the password, then type it again under "Type it again". It must be at least four characters.
- Optionally set an Owner password, and tick or untick Allow printing, copying, editing, and comments and form filling.
- Press "Protect and save". The file downloads with -protected added to its name.
- To remove a password, choose "Remove a password", enter the document's password and press "Unlock and save". The copy is named with -unlocked.
Features
- AES-256 encryption through qpdf, compiled to WebAssembly
- Password entered twice to catch typos
- Optional separate owner password, otherwise one password does both jobs
- Four permission switches: print, copy, edit, comment and fill forms
- Unlock a PDF whose password you know
- Detects an already-protected file and selects the matching mode
- Pages are not re-rendered, so text, fonts, bookmarks and form fields stay as they were
Supported formats
Accepts PDF files. Saves a PDF encrypted with AES-256, or a decrypted PDF when removing a password.
Tips
- Write the password down somewhere safe. There is no recovery option, here or anywhere else.
- Permissions are a request that PDF readers agree to honour. The password is what actually keeps the document closed.
- Share the password through a different channel than the file, such as a phone call or another messaging app.
- The encryption engine is a download of about 1.3 MB the first time you use the tool, so the first run may take a moment.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. qpdf runs inside your browser on a copy of the file held in memory, and the result is returned as a download.
Can this open a PDF when I have forgotten the password?
No. Removing a password needs the correct password, and the tool has no feature for guessing or bypassing one.
What kind of encryption is used?
AES-256. Modern PDF readers open it; very old ones may not.
What is the owner password for?
It controls the permissions, such as printing and editing, separately from the password needed to open the file. If you leave it empty, the opening password is used for both.
Will protecting change the document?
No. Only the encryption around the pages is changed. Text, images, bookmarks, form fields and the page count are left as they are.
Why does it say that password does not open this PDF?
The password you entered is not the one the file was locked with. Passwords are case-sensitive, so check capitals and spaces.
Can I try this Pro tool without an account?
Yes. Encrypt or unlock your PDF and check the result on the first page. Pro saves the finished file. Your own input is processed locally in your browser.
Will upgrading keep my work?
Checkout and login open in a separate tab. Keep the workspace open to retain inputs, settings and previews. Files stay in that tab only; keep the originals in case you close or reload it. Export access is checked with the server after payment.
Your files are processed directly in your browser and are not uploaded to HubToolify's servers.