How to remove password from PDF (offline and online)

PDFs are password-protected to maintain their confidentiality and protect privacy. This ensures that no one else gets a sneak peek at the content other than the person who is meant to see the PDF file. However, there can be times when you may want to share those PDF documents for others to quickly go through without the hassle of entering the password. Therefore, in this article, we’ll be guiding you on how to remove the passwords from PDFs through Google Chrome, Google Drive, and Adobe Acrobat. Let’s begin.

How to remove password from PDF (Chrome browser)

Google Chrome comes with a built-in PDF viewer that can be used to remove passwords from PDF files such as bank statements. It’s worth noting that this method only works if you know the PDF’s password.

Step 1: Find and locate the PDF file you wish to remove password from on your PC

Step 2: Now open the PDF in Google Chrome by selecting Open With > Chrome

Remove password from PDF using Chrome

Step 3: Enter the PDF file’s password

Remove password from PDF using Chrome

Step 4: Click the ‘Print‘ option present at the top

Remove password from PDF using Chrome

Step 5: Now select ‘Save as PDF‘ from the given option

Remove password from PDF using Chrome

Step 6: Click ‘Save‘ and the password-free version of PDF file will be downloaded to your device

Remove password from PDF using Chrome

This method also works on any browser that allows you to view PDF files, such as Microsoft Edge.

How to remove password from PDF (Google Drive)

By uploading your password-protected PDFs to Google Drive, you can unlock the files, allowing you to conveniently open them whenever required. This method can be performed only when you’re online. Here’s how to remove the password from a PDF using Google Drive.

Step 1: Firstly, open the Google Drive website on a PC or laptop

Step 2: On the left menu, select the ‘New‘ button and tap on ‘File upload

Unlock PDF using Google Drive

Step 3: Once it’s uploaded, right-click on the file and click ‘Open with’ and select Google Docs

Unlock PDF using Google Drive

Step 4: The PDF file will be opened in Google Docs in a Word format

Step 5: Now to remove the password, tap the ‘File‘ tab and select the ‘Download‘ option and download it as ‘PDF

Unlock PDF using Google Drive

The file will be resaved as PDF on your computer without any password protection

How to remove password from PDF (Adobe Acrobat)

If you have Adobe Acrobat installed on your PC/ laptop, it can also be used to remove passwords from PDFs in a quick and easy manner. But do note that this method only works if you know the PDF’s password.

Step 1: Open the password-protected PDF file using Adobe Acrobat

Step 2: Now enter the password of the locked PDF file and click OK

Remove password from PDF using Adobe Acrobat
Photo credits: PDF Editor on YouTube

Step 3: Once opened, choose the ‘Tools‘ from the top bar.

Remove password from PDF using Adobe Acrobat
Photo credits: PDF Editor on YouTube

Step 4: Scroll down and select ‘Protect

Remove password from PDF using Adobe Acrobat
Photo credits: PDF Editor on YouTube

Step 5: Now click ‘Advanced Options‘, then select ‘Remove security

Remove password from PDF using Adobe Acrobat
Photo credits: PDF Editor on YouTube

Step 6: Once done, save the PDF by pressing CTRL + S on Windows or CMD + S on Mac

Now the next time you try to open the PDF, it won’t prompt you to enter the password.

    How to unlock PDF files on mobile phone

    There are several apps on the Google Play Store and App Store that can be used to remove passwords from PDF files. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be using an app called “Unlock PDF” to demonstrate how to unlock PDF files on Android mobile phone or iPhone.

    Step 1: To download the app, go to Play Store or App Store and search for ‘Unlock PDF

    Step 2: Proceed to install the app

    Step 3: Once installed, tap the ‘Select PDF‘ button

    How to unlock PDF files on mobile phone

    Step 4: Now upload the PDF file you wish to remove the password from

    Step 5: After that, hit the ‘Unlock PDF‘ option and enter the password

    Step 6: The password will be removed from the PDF file

    Step 7: Now go ahead and save the password-free PDF file to your device

    Feel free to use any of the top-rated PDF unlocking apps.


    FAQs

    Can I use online PDF password removers to unlock a PDF file?

    Yes, there are several PDF password removers available online such as iLovePDF and Soda PDF. However, in the case of removing passwords from confidential PDF files such as Aadhaar documents or bank statements, upload the files to such websites only at your own risk as they will need to process the file in their servers to unlock the file.

    Can I remove the password from a PDF file without knowing its password?

    Password-protected PDFs are generally deeply encrypted and cannot be viewed or unlocked without entering the password.