Updated
To unlock a PDF, upload it, type the password you already use to open it and download a copy that no longer asks for one. We do not crack passwords: without the right one, the file stays locked.
Statements, payslips and tax letters often arrive encrypted, which protects them on the way to you. On your own drive the password gets in the way, and most tools refuse to merge, compress or split an encrypted file.
How to unlock a PDF you have the password for
- Drag the protected PDF, or several that share a password, onto the page.
- Enter the password; for a file that only blocks printing, copying or editing, leave the box blank.
- Click Unlock to send the job to our servers.
- Save the unlocked copy, or the ZIP for a batch.
Open passwords and owner passwords
An open password is the one a reader asks for before it shows anything. To unlock such a file, type that password. We use it to open the PDF and write a copy with the encryption removed.
Some files open freely but refuse to print, copy text or accept edits. Those limits come from a second password, called the owner password. You do not need it: leave the password box empty, and the copy comes back without the restrictions.
Either way, only the encryption goes. Everything else comes across untouched, including text, pictures and links, and the file size rarely changes much. Use the tool only on files you have the right to use without protection.
A year of statements, one password
Statements from the same bank or payroll system often share one password. Drop the whole set, type the password once and download the unlocked files one by one or as a single ZIP.
Batch size depends on the plan: 5 files with no account, 10 once you sign up for free, and 500 on Pro. Each file can be up to 50 MB, or 500 MB with Pro. The daily allowance is 20 server jobs without an account and 50 with a free one. Pro costs EUR 7.99 a month or EUR 59 a year and has no daily allowance. For one large job without a subscription, buy credits instead: one covers 25 files, and they never expire.
What runs on our servers
Unlocking does not happen in your browser. It runs on our servers in Germany. Your file and the password you type are sent over an encrypted connection. Within two hours, our servers delete both the upload and the unlocked copy on their own, and only your download link leads to that copy.
FAQ
What if the password is lost?
Then we cannot open the file either. Without the password its contents stay encrypted, and this tool does not guess.
The password is correct but gets rejected. Why?
Passwords are case sensitive, so check capital letters. Bank PDFs often use a fixed format, for example your birth date or a few digits of your account number, and the email that came with the file is the place to look.
Who can open the unlocked copy?
Anyone who has the file, since it is now an ordinary PDF. Keep it wherever you would keep the paper original.
How do I add protection back later?
Run the unlocked copy through Protect PDF and choose a new password.