Guide
Password-protecting a PDF (and what unlocking can and cannot do)
What the password actually protects, and the difference between user and owner passwords.
PDF has two different passwords and they do different jobs. Getting them confused is the most common source of "I set a password and people could still open it".
User password (the one that matters)
This is what anyone must type to open the document. If you only set one password, set this one. We encrypt at 256-bit AES, which is the current standard.
Owner password
This controls permissions — printing, copying text, editing — for readers that respect those flags. It is not a substitute for the user password: many viewers will happily open a document with no user password regardless of owner restrictions. Treat owner restrictions as a polite request, not a lock.
What unlocking can and cannot do
Our Unlock tool removes protection from a document when you supply the password you already know. It cannot guess or crack a password you have lost, and no legitimate service can. If the file matters, the practical path is back to whoever sent it.
Sending a protected file
A password-protected PDF is only as safe as the channel you use for the password. Send the file by email and the password by SMS or a phone call. Sending both in the same message defeats the point of encrypting it.
Ready to try it? Open the tool.