How to Password Protect a PDF (and Remove a Password)
Protect PDFEncrypt a PDF with a password. Free, no sign-up.A password keeps a PDF private if the email is forwarded, the laptop is lost or the file ends up in the wrong shared folder.
Add a password
- Open Protect PDF and choose your file.
- Enter a password. Optionally limit printing, copying and editing.
- Download the protected PDF.
The file is encrypted with AES-256 and opens in every major PDF reader. Encryption happens on your device, so the unprotected document is never uploaded anywhere.
Share the password safely
Do not put the password in the same email as the file. Send it by text message, say it on the phone, or use a different channel. If someone intercepts one message, they do not get both.
If you forget the password
It cannot be recovered, by us or by anyone else. That is the point of encryption. Keep the original file in a safe place, or store the password in a password manager.
Remove a password you know
- Open Unlock PDF.
- Enter the password.
- Download the unlocked copy.
This only works when you know the password. It does not crack passwords and is meant for files you are allowed to open, for example a statement you want to merge with other PDFs.
Hiding parts of a document
A password protects the whole file. If you need to share a document but hide some details, such as account numbers, use Redact PDF to remove them permanently first.