Quick answer: open Altto’s Unlock PDF, add the file, type the password once and download the unlocked copy. It runs in your browser, so the PDF and the password never leave your device. You need to know the password: these methods remove a password, they don’t crack one.
First: which kind of password is it?
PDFs can have two kinds of password, and they behave differently:
- Open password (also called a user password). You can’t see anything until you type it. Banks and payroll systems use this, often built from your date of birth or postcode.
- Permissions password (owner password). The PDF opens normally, but printing, copying text, editing or filling in may be blocked, and the app shows “Secured”.
Every method below removes an open password once you type it. Altto’s Unlock PDF also removes permissions-only restrictions without asking for anything.
Method 1: in your browser with Altto (any device)
- Go to Unlock PDF and drop in the locked file.
- Type the password that opens it. For a PDF that only restricts printing or editing, leave the box empty.
- Press Unlock and save the copy. It’s the same document, minus the password.
This works on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone and Android, and nothing is uploaded, which matters when the file is a bank statement.
Method 2: Google Chrome’s “Save as PDF”
Open the PDF in Chrome and type the password. Then press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on a Mac), set the destination to Save as PDF and save. The new copy has no password. The catch: it’s a re-printed copy, so links, bookmarks and form fields can be lost, and it won’t work if the PDF blocks printing.
Method 3: Preview on a Mac
Open the PDF in Preview and enter the password. Choose File → Export (or Export as PDF), make sure Encrypt is unticked, and save. Preview may ask for the permissions password before it will export a file whose permissions are restricted.
Method 4: Adobe Acrobat Pro
In the paid version of Acrobat, open the file, go to the protection or security settings, and set security to No Security, then save. The free Acrobat Reader can open protected PDFs but can’t remove passwords.
Comparing the methods
| Method | Free | Keeps links and forms | Removes permissions-only locks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altto Unlock PDF | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chrome Save as PDF | Yes | No | Only if printing is allowed |
| Mac Preview | Yes | Mostly | May ask for the owner password |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | Paid | Yes | Needs the owner password |
Is it legal to remove a PDF password?
Removing the password from your own documents, such as your statements, payslips or files you created, is fine. Removing protection from someone else’s document without permission is a different matter, and may break the terms it was shared under. If a document you need to edit arrives locked, the simplest route is to ask the sender for an unlocked copy.
Forgotten the password?
None of these methods can help without the password. Check the email or letter the PDF came with, since banks and payroll providers usually explain how the password is made up (for example, your date of birth as DDMMYYYY). Otherwise, ask the sender to issue the document again.
Common questions
How do I remove a password from a PDF for free?
Can I remove a PDF password without knowing it?
Is it safe to unlock a PDF online?
Will removing the password change my PDF?
Can I put a password back on?
Try it with your own file
Free, no sign-up, no daily limit — and nothing is uploaded.