Password Protect PDF Free
Free PDF password protection — add or remove a password from any PDF privately in your browser. Strong AES encryption, full lock and edit-restriction modes.
This tool gives you two ways to protect a PDF. Full Lock puts a password on a PDF so that only people who know it can open the file — useful for anything sensitive like contracts, statements or personal records before you send them on. Restrict Editing keeps the PDF openable and readable by anyone, but disables printing, copying/extracting text and editing/modifying in compliant PDF viewers, with an owner password protecting those settings — useful for finished reports, handouts or forms you want people to read but not alter. If you already have a Full-Locked PDF and know the password, you can also use this tool to remove that protection. Everything happens on your device using strong, industry-standard encryption, and your passwords are never sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Full Lock and Restrict Editing?
Full Lock encrypts the entire file so nobody can open it without the password. Restrict Editing leaves the PDF openable by anyone, but sets permission flags that disallow printing, copying or editing in compliant PDF viewers.
Can I remove a password from a PDF?
Yes, if you know the existing password you can remove it to unlock a Full-Locked document.
Will Restrict Editing stop a determined user from removing the restrictions?
No — PDF permission flags are respected by compliant viewers but are not a strong security boundary, the same as Acrobat's own "Restrict Editing" feature. Use Full Lock if the content must stay completely hidden without a password.
Is my password sent anywhere?
No. Locking, restricting and unlocking happen entirely on your device — passwords are never transmitted.
What happens if I forget the password I set?
For Full Lock there is no recovery option — without the correct password, the PDF cannot be unlocked. For Restrict Editing, the PDF itself still opens normally for everyone; only the owner password used to remove the restrictions would be lost.