How to Remove Password Protection From a PDF

Jennifer Allen has been writing about technology since 2010. Her work has appeared in Mashable, TechRadar, and many more publications.

Updated on January 17, 2021 Reviewed by

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.

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.

<a href=Google Chrome new tab window" width="2880" height="1646" />

  1. Open Google Chrome.

Google Chrome with Open File highlighted

Click File > Open File.

Google Chrome with Open File dialog highlighted

Find your password-protected PDF document and click Open.

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

Click Submit.

Document open in Google Chrome with the Print icon highlighted

Click Print.

Google Chrome print dialog with Destination highlighted

Click on the Destination drop-down menu.

Google Chrome with Save as PDF highlighted

Click Save as PDF.

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

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.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with Open File highlighted

Click Open File.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with the open file dialog box highlighted

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

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

Enter the password and click OK.

Click File > Properties. Properties displayed" width="2880" height="1651" />

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with the document properties for <a href=a PDF displayed" width="2880" height="1649" />

Click Security.

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

Click the Security Method drop-down menu.

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

Click No Security.

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

Click OK.

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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