How to Remove Password Protection From a PDF

Learn how to unlock a PDF file

by
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Writer
Jennifer Allen has been writing about technology since 2010. Her work has appeared in Mashable, TechRadar, and many more publications.
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Jennifer Allen
Updated on September 18, 2020
reviewed by
Jessica Kormos headshot
Jessica Kormos
Lifewire Tech Review Board Member
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
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Article reviewed on Jan 17, 2021
Jessica Kormos

What to Know

In a free PDF viewer open the PDF > Enter password > Submit > Print > choose destination > Save as PDF > Save > Enter name > Save.

In Adobe Acrobat DC, open the PDF > Enter the password > OK > File > Properties > Security > Security Method > No Security > OK > OK.

This article covers how to remove password protection from a PDF file using a free PDF viewer and Adobe Acrobat DC, a paid tool. 

How to Use a PDF Viewer To Remove Password Protection From a PDF

For legal reasons, you should only ever remove password protection from a PDF that you possess and know its password. Passwords are typically added to prevent plagiarism or to encrypt the information so that it's safer to transmit online.

It's possible to follow very similar steps in most PDF viewer apps but we're using Google Chrome here as it's available on all formats including Windows, Mac, and Linux. 

  1. Open Google Chrome.

    Google Chrome new tab window

  2. Click File > Open File.

    Google Chrome with Open File highlighted

  3. Find your password-protected PDF document and click Open.

    Google Chrome with Open File dialog highlighted

  4. Enter the password of the document.

  5. Click Submit.

    Google Chrome with a PDF file open and password required dialog highlighted

  6. Click Print.

    Document open in Google Chrome with the Print icon highlighted

  7. Click on the Destination drop-down menu.

    Google Chrome print dialog with Destination highlighted

  8. Click Save as PDF.

    Google Chrome with Save as PDF highlighted

  9. Click Save.

    Google Chrome with Save as PDF set up. The save button is highlighted.

  10. Enter a name for the new document and click Save.

How to Use Adobe Acrobat DC to Remove PDF Password Protection

While Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free PDF viewer for all, Adobe Acrobat DC is a paid app that offers enhanced features for users that regularly need to manipulate PDFs. It's also considered the more appropriate way of removing the security on a PDF.

Adobe Acrobat DC offers a free trial.

  1. Open Adobe Acrobat DC.

  2. Click Open File.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with Open File highlighted

  3. Find the file you wish to remove the password from and click Open.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with the open file dialog box highlighted

  4. Enter the password and click OK.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with the password entry box shown for a password protected PDF

  5. Click File > Properties.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with a file open and File > Properties displayed

  6. Click Security.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with the document properties for a PDF displayed

  7. Click the Security Method drop-down menu.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with document properties open and the security method highlighted for a PDF

  8. Click No Security.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with the password security method options highlighted including No Security

  9. Click OK.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with the Ok dialog for deactivating security from a file

  10. Click OK one last time.

  11. The password has now been removed from the file and you can click File > Save to save it or do anything you want with it.

What If You've Forgotten the PDF Password?

If you've forgotten the password to one of your PDFs, it can be trickier to remove the password protection.

In most countries, the only legal use of PDF password crackers is to remove the security on a PDF file that you have permission to access. Never use a PDF password cracker or removal method for a file that isn't yours to unlock. 

There are numerous free PDF password remover tools that you can try. There's no guarantee they'll work as it depends on the security level of the PDF and other restrictions, but it's definitely worth trying.

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