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Protect & Unlock PDF

Protect PDFs with AES-256 encryption and password controls, or remove existing protection when you know the correct password.

Drop PDFs herePDF files only · up to 250 MB each

Your PDFs and passwords are processed locally in your browser and are not uploaded.

How to use Protect & Unlock PDF

  1. 1

    Choose Protect PDF or Unlock PDF, then upload your document.

  2. 2

    To protect a PDF, create and confirm an opening password and optionally configure printing, copying and editing permissions.

  3. 3

    To unlock a PDF, enter the document's current user or owner password.

  4. 4

    Review the selected security settings, then start the protection or unlocking process.

  5. 5

    Download the protected PDF or the unlocked copy.

Frequently asked questions

About Protect & Unlock PDF

Protect & Unlock PDF combines two related security operations in one tool. Protect mode encrypts a PDF with AES-256 and an opening password, while optional permission controls can limit printing, copying, editing and other actions in compatible PDF readers.

Unlock mode removes password protection and encryption from a PDF after you provide a valid user or owner password. The resulting copy can be opened without entering the previous password, while its visible pages and page order remain unchanged.

Permission restrictions are enforced by PDF-reading software and should not be treated as absolute protection. For confidential documents, use a strong opening password and share it separately from the protected file.