Learn how to remove password protection from a locked PDF document so other people can open and read the file without typing the password.
In this tutorial, we take a closer look at four techniques to remove the password from locked PDF files and save these document as password-free PDFs.
Built-in Preview app
Apple’s Preview app built into macOS can remove password lock from a PDF. First, open a locked PDF in Preview and enter the password when asked. Next, click File > Export in the menu and then hit the Permissions button. You can also click the File > Print menu, hit the PDF button, and select Save as PDF > Save. In some cases, this method may prevent you from selecting text and other items in the document.
Type the document password in the Owner Password and hit Apply, then click File > Save to export a password-free PDF.
Rename the file, untick the Encrypt option, and click the Save button.
Safari
To remove password protection from a PDF in Apple’s Safari browser, click File > Open File in Safari’s menu or press the Command + O keys, then select your locked PDF, hit Open, and enter the password. Next, click the File > Print menu or press the Command + P keys, hit the PDF menu, and select the Save as PDF option. Lastly, name your passwordless PDF and choose a location, then hit Save.
Google Chrome
Google Chrome can also remove password lock from PDFs. Drop a locked PDF onto the Chrome window (or click the File > Open menu or press the Command + O keys) to open it manually, then type the password and click Submit. Hit the printer icon in the top-right corner (or press the Command + P keys) and choose Save as PDF next to Destination, then click Save > Save to export a passwordless PDF.
iLovePDF app
Websites like iLovePDF can unlock password-protected PDFs without having to install App Store apps. Visit iLovePDF.com in a desktop browser and drop your locked PDF onto the window, click Select PDF File, and choose a path. Now click Unlock PDF, enter the password when asked, and click Send. Finally, click Download unlocked PDFs.
Remove PDF lock if you forgot the password
The above techniques won’t let you unlock PDFs without knowing the password. As a rule of thumb, I suggest checking the source for more information about removing password lock. For example, whenever I request my bank statement, it’s delivered as a password-protected PDF to my inbox, with the full instructions in message body.
If you don’t know the password, try an app called PDF Password Remover by cisdem. I’ve extensively tested the free version and it works as advertised (with some caveats mentioned below). Drop your locked PDF onto the PDF Password Remover window or click Add Files in the toolbar to manually navigate to the document, then hit the red lock and gear icon next to the PDF.
Click the Forgot option, take your best guess at the password length, and type it in the Max field, then hit the Decrypt button. Finally, click Remove > Continue to remove the password. Your unlocked PDF is saved in the selected location. Default save location is set to the Cisdem PDF Password Remover folder inside the Documents folder.
Important points
The free edition of PDF Password Remover restricts you to exporting half a PDF up to 3 pages. I’ve timed how long it takes to decrypt the password, here’s what found:
- PDF passwords up to 3 characters are unlocked in under a minute.
- PDF passwords comprising 4 characters can take an hour to decrypt.
- PDF passwords longer than 5 characters take more than a day to break as the app needs to try millions of password combinations.
The problem is, many legal documents like bank statements and contracts are protected with complex passwords that are much longer than five characters. Also, disabling auto-sleep in macOS and leaving the app running for hours doesn’t guarantee the password will be cracked; don’t be surprised if the app returns an error after running for hours because you didn’t select correct options beforehand.
As you may have guessed, I don’t have a solid opinion about PDF Password Remover other than successfully removed 4-character passwords from my locked PDFs.
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