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Free online PDF tool

Remove a PDF's password

For a file you can already open: give cherrypdf the password once and get back a decrypted copy that does not ask for one, with the restrictions on printing and copying lifted too. This removes protection you are entitled to remove — it does not break into a document whose password you do not have.

Drop a locked PDF here
Remove a password you already know.

Step by step

How to remove a PDF's password

  1. Open the locked PDF.
  2. Type the password once, so cherrypdf can open the file.
  3. Download a copy that does not ask for one, with the printing and copying restrictions lifted.

What it does

Remove a PDF's password, at a glance.

  • Remove a password from a file you can open
  • Lift restrictions on printing and copying
  • Keep the locked original if you still need it

This tool runs entirely inside your browser tab. The file never leaves your machine, using it needs no sign-up, downloading needs only a free account, and nothing you download carries a watermark.

Questions

Remove a PDF's password: questions and answers

Can it open a file whose password I do not know?

No. Removing the password only works on protection you are already entitled to remove. It is not a way into a document you are locked out of.

What if the file opens but will not print?

Then only the advisory permission bits are set and no password is needed. Removing the password lifts them too.

Does the original change?

No. You get a new copy without the password, and can keep the original if you still need it.

Is the password sent anywhere?

No. The file is decrypted in this browser tab, so neither it nor the password leaves your machine.

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