Two kinds of PDF protection
- Open password: the PDF will not open without it. The contents are encrypted with the password.
- Restrictions only: the PDF opens normally but blocks printing, copying text or editing.
Both can be removed when you know the password, and restrictions can be removed from a PDF that opens without one. A PDF whose open password you do not know cannot be unlocked by any honest tool.
Remove it in your browser
- Open Unlock PDF and drop in the file.
- If it only has restrictions, it is unlocked at once. If it needs a password, type it and click Unlock.
- Download the unlocked copy.
Bank statements and payslips are often protected with a password such as your date of birth or part of your account number, as the sender explains. Because the file is decrypted on your device, neither the document nor the password is sent anywhere.
Other ways
- Chrome or Edge: open the PDF, enter the password, then Print → Save as PDF. The saved copy has no password, but it is a new PDF built from the printed page, so forms and links may be lost.
- Adobe Acrobat (paid): File → Properties → Security → No Security.
Protect it again later
If you need to send the document on, add a new password with Protect PDF.
When the password is rejected
- Capital letters. PDF passwords are case-sensitive. If the sender's email says "the first four letters of your name in capitals", type them that way.
- Date format. A date of birth may be expected as DDMMYYYY, DDMM or YYYYMMDD. Check the instructions, and include leading zeros, so 5 March is 0503.
- An extra space. Passwords copied from an email often pick up a space at the end. Type it instead of pasting it.
- The wrong password altogether. Statements sent in different months or by different departments can use different rules.
Common problems
- The saved copy is blank or will not print. Some PDFs forbid printing, so "Print to PDF" produces nothing. Remove the restriction with a proper unlocking tool instead.
- Form fields stopped working. Printing to a new PDF flattens it. An unlocking tool that decrypts the file keeps forms and links.
Only your own documents
Remove protection only from files you are entitled to use, such as your own statements. If a document was shared with you under restrictions, ask the sender for an unprotected copy.