PDF Medic OnlineRemove a PDF password
Remove the password from a PDF you can open — with the password you type. We never guess passwords.
Files never leave your device
How to Unlock PDF
- Choose the locked PDF, or drop it on the box above.
- Type its password in The PDF’s password. Tick Show password to check what you typed.
- Press Remove password, then Download. The locked original is not changed.
Two kinds of PDF password
A PDF can carry two different passwords, and it helps to know which one you have.
- Open password: the file asks for it before showing anything. Bank statements, payslips and e-Aadhaar files are usually locked this way.
- Owner (permissions) password: the file opens freely, but its owner has blocked things such as printing, copying text or editing. You never type this password to read the file, so you may not know it exists.
What happens with the password you type
- The file asks for a password and you type it: the password is removed, and the new file opens without one.
- The file also has owner limits: the open password removes only the open password, and the limits stay. Type the owner password instead to remove both.
- The file opens freely but has owner limits: only the owner password removes them. Without it the tool tells you so and changes nothing.
- The password is wrong: you see That password is not correct, and you can try again with the right one.
- The file has no password: you are told there is nothing to remove.
We never guess passwords
This tool only uses the password you type. It does not try lists of common passwords, it has no forgot-password option, and it never removes an owner’s limits without the owner password. A password protects someone’s private file, so the site respects it.
If you don’t know the password, ask whoever sent you the file. Banks and offices usually explain the password format in the email or message that came with it. The password you type is used in your browser only and is not sent anywhere, just like the file.
After you remove the password
The pages, text and pictures stay exactly as they were; only the protection is taken off. The new file is named after the original with -unlocked added. Once the password and any owner limits are gone, it works in the other tools on this site, such as Compress PDF, Merge PDF and PDF to JPG, which refuse locked files.
Anyone who gets the unlocked copy can open it, so store it carefully, or lock it again with your own password in Protect PDF. A digitally signed PDF needs a tick before unlocking, because removing the password makes the signature show as invalid.
Everything happens in your browser: your file is never uploaded to any server. You can check: once your file is open, turn on airplane mode — the tool still works.
Questions
Can I unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. This tool needs the password and never tries to guess or crack it. Ask the person or organisation that sent you the file.
What is the password for an e-Aadhaar PDF?
UIDAI uses the first four letters of your name in capitals followed by your year of birth, for example SURE1990. Type it here and press Remove password.
Why can’t I print or copy from a PDF that opens without a password?
Its owner set limits with an owner password. Only that password removes them; type it here to get a copy without limits.
I typed the right password, but the file still has limits. Why?
You typed the open password. It removes the need for a password to open the file, but the owner’s limits stay until the owner password is used.
Does removing the password change my document?
No. The content stays the same; only the lock is removed. The original locked file is kept as it was.
Is my file uploaded?
No. Unlock PDF runs in your browser on your own device. The file is never sent to our server or anyone else. Once your file is open you can even turn on airplane mode.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up, no limits on how many files, and no watermark is added to your file.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in any modern browser on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows or Linux. Very large files work best on a computer, because a phone browser has less memory.