Protect & unlock

Add or remove the open password

No database: AIMRAN doesn't store your files, text or results

What is Protect & unlock?

If you send documents with personal data, payslips or contracts, protecting them with a password stops the wrong people from opening them. With this tool you add an open password to any PDF and decide whether it can be printed, its text copied or modified.

It also works the other way round: if you have a password-protected PDF and know the password, you save a copy without it so you don't have to type it every time. Text and links are preserved.

How to use it

  1. Drag in the PDF.
  2. Choose “Protect” or “Unlock”.
  3. To protect, type the password twice and choose the permissions.
  4. To unlock, type the current password.
  5. Click the button and download the resulting PDF.

Advantages

Technical details

Encryption and decryption are done with qpdf compiled to WebAssembly. When protecting, AES-256 is applied with a user and owner password; the print, extract text and modify permissions are turned on or off separately and, if you restrict any of them without entering an owner password, a random one is generated. When unlocking, an unencrypted copy is saved with all content intact. The tool detects whether the PDF is not encrypted, has only owner restrictions (which are removed without asking for a password) or requires an open password. It does not recover or guess forgotten passwords. Accepts PDFs up to 200 MB.

Frequently asked questions

How do I put a password on a PDF?

Open the PDF, choose “Protect”, type the password twice and click “Protect PDF”. Anyone who opens it will have to enter it.

How do I remove the password from a PDF?

Choose “Unlock”, type the current password and click “Remove password”. You will download a copy that opens without asking for it.

Can I unlock a PDF if I have forgotten the password?

No. If the PDF asks for a password to open, you need to know it. Only printing or copying restrictions can be removed without a password.

What is the difference between a user and an owner password?

The user password is required to open the document. The owner password lets you change permissions, such as printing or copying text.

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