# Unlock a PDF — remove the password in your browser, no upload

> Remove the password from a PDF you own so it opens without prompting, right in your browser. No upload — the file is decrypted on your device.

Enter the password for a PDF you own and save an unprotected copy that opens without prompting. Decryption happens locally, so the file is never uploaded.

Unlocking is for the files you are entitled to open but that keep asking for a password — a bank statement, a payslip, an archived report. Once you enter the password, the tool writes out a copy with the encryption stripped so it opens straight away.

This only works on documents you can already unlock, because the password you own is what performs the decryption. It is a convenience and interoperability step, not a way around access control.

After unlocking you can freely edit the document — combine it with Merge, shrink it with Compress, or set a fresh password with Protect if you want to secure it differently.

## How to

1. **Add the protected PDF.** Drop the password-protected file onto the tool or browse for it.
2. **Enter the password.** Type the password you already have for the document.
3. **Unlock.** Remove the protection locally to create an unencrypted copy.
4. **Download.** Save the unlocked PDF that now opens without a prompt.

## FAQ

### Can this crack a password I don't know?

No. You must supply the correct password. This tool removes protection from files you can already open — it does not guess or break unknown passwords.

### Why remove a password at all?

So a document you own stops prompting every time, or so you can then edit, merge, or compress it in tools that need an unencrypted file.

### Is the file uploaded to unlock it?

No. Decryption runs in your browser tab; neither the protected file nor the password is sent anywhere.

### Can I re-protect it afterward?

Yes — run the unlocked copy through Protect to set a new password whenever you like.


## Related tools

- [Protect](https://www.safepaper.app/docs/protect)
- [Merge](https://www.safepaper.app/docs/merge)
- [Compress](https://www.safepaper.app/docs/compress)
- [Split](https://www.safepaper.app/docs/split)

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Canonical HTML: https://www.safepaper.app/docs/unlock
Markdown: https://www.safepaper.app/docs/unlock.md

There is no upload endpoint — your files are processed in this browser tab. Open your network tab and check.