PDF Unlock saves an encrypted PDF as a copy that needs no password — assuming you know the password. That copy is what makes merging, rotating, watermarking and other edits possible. It calls qpdf's decrypt function (--decrypt) inside the browser and writes <original-name>_unlocked.pdf.

It is not a cracking tool: without the password, a file cannot be unlocked. For a file that only carries permission limits — it opens, but printing or copying is forbidden — leaving the password field empty removes the restrictions.

1. 01Add the fileafter an encrypted PDF is added, the left side says “encrypted — enter the password before you can view and work with it”; if you already typed the viewing password, the unlock panel is pre-filled.
2. 02Fill in the passwordtype it under “Open password”; leave the field empty for a file that opens and only carries permission limits.
3. 03Decide about replacing“replace the original file in the workspace with the unlocked result when done” is on by default, so the new file can be worked on immediately.
4. 04Unlock and downloadclick “Unlock and download” to get <original-name>_unlocked.pdf and the message “unlocked — the password has been removed”.

Supported input

standard encrypted PDFs (RC4 / AES-128 / AES-256) with the correct open password; a file limited by permissions only can leave the password empty.

Legal boundary

use it only on files you own or are authorised to handle; removing permission limits set by someone else may break copyright or confidentiality agreements.

What it does not do

it does not guess, crack or bypass a password; does not process certificate-encrypted files; entering a password for viewing only unlocks the display, and only “Unlock and download” here produces a copy without a password.

Unlocking is performed by qpdf (WebAssembly) inside the browser; neither the file nor the password is uploaded. Work only on files you are entitled to handle.