Quick answer
If you know the password, open the PDF with it and save an unlocked copy: an unlock tool does it in one step, and browsers can do it for free with Print > Save as PDF. Without the password, you can't legitimately remove modern PDF encryption, so ask the sender. Keep unlocked copies of sensitive files somewhere private.
Banks, payroll systems, insurers and tax offices often send PDFs protected with a password. That's sensible when the file travels by email, but annoying when you open the same statement ten times while doing your taxes. If you know the password, you can save a copy that opens without it. If you don't, there is no honest shortcut, and this guide won't pretend there is.
Two kinds of PDF passwords
PDF protection comes in two forms, and they behave differently.
| Open password (user password) | Permissions password (owner password) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you notice | A password box appears before anything shows | The file opens, but printing, copying or editing is blocked |
| What it protects | The whole content, which is encrypted | Specific actions; the content is readable |
| Typical use | Bank statements, payslips, medical results | Published reports, forms, e-books |
| To remove it | Enter the password once and save an unlocked copy | Enter the owner password and save an unrestricted copy |
A file can have both. In either case, removing protection means opening it with the right password and saving a new copy without encryption.
Step by step: unlock a PDF with MyPDFDone
- 01Make sure the file is yours to unlockOnly unlock documents you're entitled to open, such as your own statements, or files whose owner gave you the password.
- 02Upload the PDF to Unlock PDFOpen MyPDFDone's Unlock PDF tool and drop the protected file on the upload box. Files up to 100 MB are accepted.
- 03Enter the current passwordType the password exactly, including capitals. It is used once to open the file and is deleted with the job.
- 04Check the previewThe preview is free. If the password was wrong you'll see a message and can try again.
- 05Download the unlocked copyDownload the copy that opens without a password for $4.99, paid once. Keep the original if you might need the protected version.
Processing and the preview are free; the download of the unlocked copy is a one-time $4.99. There's no subscription, and the file and the password are deleted automatically after 2 hours.
Free ways to remove a password you know
If you'd rather not upload a sensitive file, your device can often do it for free. Most of these methods "print" the document to a new PDF, which removes the password but also has side effects: links, bookmarks and fillable fields may be lost, and some files come out larger. If the document has a permissions password that blocks printing, these methods won't work.
Any browser on a computer
- Drag the PDF into a browser window (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari all open PDFs).
- Enter the password when asked.
- Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac).
- Choose "Save as PDF" or "Microsoft Print to PDF" as the printer, and save.
The new file opens without a password. This works on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Mac
Open the PDF in Preview and enter the password. Depending on your version of macOS, either choose File > Export and save a copy with the Encrypt option turned off, or open the permissions settings for the document and remove the password there. Save it under a new name so you keep the original.
iPhone and iPad
Open the PDF in the Files app and enter the password. Tap Share, then Print, and in the print preview use Share again to save the output as a new PDF to Files. Recent iOS versions show "Save to Files" there directly.
Android
Open the PDF in Chrome or your PDF viewer, enter the password, choose Print from the menu, pick "Save as PDF" as the printer, and download the result.
If you don't know the password
This is the hard truth: you can't remove an unknown password from a properly encrypted PDF in any practical way. Services that promise to "crack" any PDF either rely on very old, weak encryption or simply try common passwords for hours. They also require you to hand the file to someone you know little about.
Better options:
- Search for the password. Bank and payroll passwords are usually described in the email that came with the file, often a combination of your birth date, part of an ID number or your postcode.
- Check your password manager. If you protected the file yourself, you may have saved the password there.
- Ask the sender. They can resend the document without protection, or send the password through another channel.
- Download it again from the source. Online banking portals often let you download statements without a password.
Should you remove the password at all?
Before unlocking, consider whether you really need to. Removing protection makes sense when:
- You're archiving your own documents and want them searchable and easy to open on a private device.
- Another tool or portal can't handle encrypted files. Many upload forms, merge tools and converters reject protected PDFs.
- You're combining several protected statements into one file for an accountant or a loan application.
Keeping the password makes more sense when the file sits in shared storage, travels by email again, or contains health, identity or financial details that someone else could misuse. In those cases, open it with the password when you need it, or re-protect your edited copy before sending.
Keep unlocked files safe
Removing the password removes the protection, so think about where the copy lives:
- Store it on a private device or an encrypted folder, not in a shared Downloads folder on a family computer.
- Don't forward the unlocked copy by email unless the recipient really needs it. If they do, protect it again with Protect PDF, which encrypts the file with AES-256, and share the password by text message or phone.
- Delete copies you don't need anymore.
Common problems
"Wrong password", but you're sure it's right. Passwords are case-sensitive, and keyboards can switch layout. Type it in a text editor first to check, then paste it. Watch for an extra space at the end when pasting.
The file opens without a password, but you still can't copy text. That's a permissions password, or the PDF is a scan without any text. The first needs the owner password; the second needs OCR. See how to copy text from a scanned PDF.
Your PDF reader says the file is damaged instead of asking for a password. That's a different problem; work through our guide to PDFs that won't open.
Frequently asked questions
No. MyPDFDone only removes protection when you enter the current password. Modern PDF encryption (AES) is not practical to guess, and bypassing protection on someone else's document may be illegal. Ask the sender for the password or an unprotected copy.
An open (user) password is needed to view the file at all. A permissions (owner) password lets anyone view the file but restricts actions such as printing, copying or editing. Both are removed by saving a copy with the correct password.
It depends on the service. MyPDFDone sends files over HTTPS, stores them privately and deletes them automatically 2 hours after upload; the password is used once and deleted with the job. For highly sensitive files, the free browser method below works entirely on your device.
Statements are often sent by email, which isn't fully private. The password, often based on your date of birth or account details, protects the file if the email reaches the wrong person. Removing it is fine for your own archive, but keep the unlocked copy on a private device.
No. Unlock PDF saves the same pages, text, images and form fields; only the encryption is removed. Print-to-PDF methods are different: they create a new file and may lose links, bookmarks and fillable fields.
Use Protect PDF to encrypt the file with a new password (AES-256). Share the password through a different channel than the file, for example by text message instead of email.