Remove Password
Unlock password-protected PDFs.
or drop it here
Your files are sent securely from your browser to our server.
Up to 50 MB per file
- Completely free
- No sign-up
- Files are deleted right after processing
What Remove Password does
Remove Password takes the protection off a PDF whose password you already know, so you stop typing it every time you open the file. Bank statements, e-invoices, payslips and insurance documents often arrive locked; once they are in your own archive, an unlocked copy is easier to search, print, merge or upload. The tool does not guess or crack passwords: without the password, it cannot open the file.
On upload, vupdf checks what kind of lock the file has. A file that needs a password to open asks for it. A file that opens freely but blocks printing, copying or editing is recognized as restricted, and those limits can be removed without a password. An unprotected file is reported as such.
How to use Remove Password
- Upload the PDF and read its status: password-protected, restricted or not protected.
- For a password-protected file, type the password you were given.
- Click Remove password, or Remove restrictions if the file was only restricted.
- If the password is rejected, check capital letters and special characters and try again.
- Download the unlocked PDF, which now opens without a password.
Features and options
- Detects the type of lock
- The tool tells apart an opening password, permission-only restrictions and an unprotected file, so you know what is needed before you start.
- Restrictions removed without a password
- PDFs that open normally but forbid printing, copying or editing are freed with one click, since no opening password is involved.
- Old and new encryption
- Files locked with older RC4 or AES-128 encryption are handled as well as current AES-256 ones.
- Careful with special characters
- Programs store letters such as ş, ğ or ü in passwords differently. vupdf tries the encodings they use, so a correct password with such letters still works.
- Keeps the document intact
- The file is opened with your password and saved without the lock, so bookmarks, document properties, links and form fields stay in place.
When it helps
- Your bank locks monthly statements with part of your ID number, and your accountant needs unlocked copies.
- You must merge several protected payslips into one file for a loan application.
- A supplier catalog opens fine but refuses to print, and you need a paper copy for a meeting.
- You locked your own document months ago and now want to share an open version with your team.
Tips and limits
- Use this tool only for files you have the right to open. A forgotten password cannot be recovered here.
- Passwords are case sensitive, and a leading or trailing space counts as part of the password.
- The unlocked file has no protection, so handle it like any sensitive document.
- To set a new password, use Protect again or Encrypt PDF. Files up to 50 MB are accepted.
Frequently asked questions
- I forgot the password. Can this tool open my PDF?
- No. It only removes protection when you enter the correct password. Ask the sender or look for an unprotected copy.
- My PDF opens without a password but won’t print. Can I fix that?
- Yes. The file is recognized as restricted, and Remove restrictions lifts the printing, copying and editing limits without a password.
- Why is my correct password rejected?
- Check capital letters, the keyboard layout and spaces at either end, and type special characters exactly as they were set.
- Will my bookmarks and form fields survive?
- Yes. Bookmarks, document properties, links and form fields are kept in the unlocked copy.
- The tool says my PDF is not password-protected. What now?
- There is nothing to remove. If you want to protect it, go straight to Encrypt PDF.
- Is the password I type stored anywhere?
- No. It is used once to open the file on vupdf’s servers, and the file and result are deleted after delivery.