I forgot the password. Can it be unlocked?

No. This tool needs the password you already know. Without it the file cannot be opened.

Can it unlock a PDF that only blocks printing and copying?

Yes. If there is no open password and only limits, it shows “Restrictions only”. Click “Unlock PDF” without a password and the limits are removed.

Does it change my original PDF?

No. The unlocked PDF is saved as a new file, and the original stays as it is.

Unlock · Pegmo

Unlock PDF

Drop a file here

Remove a password you know and save a PDF anyone can open. Without the password it can't be unlocked. The file never leaves this device.

PDF

How to use Unlock

What it does

Removes a password you already know and saves the PDF as a new file that opens without one. If you do not know the password, it cannot be unlocked. A PDF with no open password but limits such as printing and copying gets those limits removed.

Step by step

Drop a PDF onto the screen, or click to choose one.
On the “Password” tab, check “Password status”. If it says “Password set”, a “Password” field appears. Enter the password used to open the file.
Click “Unlock PDF”. For a PDF marked “Restrictions only”, click it without entering a password.
Click “Save”. The file name is the original name with “-unlocked” added.

Good to know

“Password status” shows “No password”, “Restrictions only”, “Password set” or “Unreadable”. With “No password” or “Unreadable” there is nothing to unlock, so the button stays disabled.
Without the password it cannot be unlocked. There is no feature to find out a password. If the password is wrong, you see “The password doesn’t match”.
A PDF with no password is already open to anyone, and you are told there is nothing to unlock. The unlocked PDF is saved without a password, so anyone can open it. Be careful where you keep and share it.
A PDF that cannot be read can be rewritten with Repair first. The unlocked PDF can go straight to another tool with “Keep going”.
The file is processed in your browser and is not uploaded to a server.

Frequently asked questions

I forgot the password. Can it be unlocked?: No. This tool needs the password you already know. Without it the file cannot be opened.
Can it unlock a PDF that only blocks printing and copying?: Yes. If there is no open password and only limits, it shows “Restrictions only”. Click “Unlock PDF” without a password and the limits are removed.
Does it change my original PDF?: No. The unlocked PDF is saved as a new file, and the original stays as it is.