Discover the best programs to unlock PDF and remove passwords, ensuring access and editing without restrictions. Unlock protected PDFs quickly.
Every day, companies and individuals need to archive paper and digital documents, functional to customer management, study, training or work. Among the most used formats there is certainly PDF , a versatile solution and now a standard for those who want to store or modify documents.
Maybe you have already tried several programs to edit PDF , but you have not been able to find the solution that also allows you to unlock password-protected digital documents. Today we will try to give you a clearer picture of what programs are available to unlock PDF .
Index
- What is a password protected PDF?
- Why Unlock a PDF
- Best PDF Unlocker Programs
- Risks of Using PDF Unlocking Software
- Protect Yourself from the Risks of PDF Unlocking Software
- Alternatives to Using PDF Unlocker Programs
- Using PDF Unlocker Programs: The Importance of Copyright
- Frequent questions
- Conclusions
What is a password protected PDF?
When you create and save a digital document in PDF format, you can choose whether to do so with a password or without. When you create a password-protected PDF, every time you open the file you will need an alphanumeric code that you chose when creating it; while if you create a PDF without a password, it will open directly without entering any password.
What are the types of protection in PDFs?
However, when you need to choose a password to protect your document in PDF format, you can opt for two types of protection .
- Password to open the document: you have the possibility to choose a password that prevents the PDF from being opened without entering the correct alphanumeric code.
- Password to limit actions: This type of protection allows you to choose a password that blocks only certain actions, such as printing, copying text or simply modifying it.
How Encryption Works in PDFs
When you apply one of these two types of protection, the software uses encryption to encode the content of the document , making it unreadable without the corresponding password. Each program can use a different encryption with multiple levels of security .
Why Unlock a PDF
There are many reasons why you might want to unlock a PDF file, but in most cases we can summarize them in three: forgotten password , need to modify a document and the desire to print a restricted file .
If you have forgotten the password of an important document, only a PDF unlocker software could help you restore the original file, as well as if you want to edit a password-locked PDF sent by a company or an acquaintance. Restrictions are often applied to block certain functions, such as printing, and even in this case you would have no choice but to unlock the PDF with a third-party program .
Best PDF Unlocker Programs
As you can imagine, there are many software programs designed to unlock PDFs and fortunately they can be used on most operating systems. Let’s see which are the best on Windows , macOS , Linux , for PC, Android and iOS for mobile devices.
Windows
If you prefer to rely on a Windows PC to unlock PDF files, then the ideal solutions are: QPDF , PDFCrack and GuaPDF .
QPDF : This free and open source software requires some technical knowledge, but it is among the best solutions to unlock your digital documents. Among the main features is the removal of printing and editing restrictions . An excellent choice especially if you want a quality free tool . For further information you can read our guide on how to unlock a password protected PDF with QPDF .
PDFCrack : among the strengths of this tool we point out a good decryption of simple passwords , even if it lacks a bit in speed; in fact, the conversion and unlocking are a bit slow. Among the most interesting functions we point out the password recovery via brute force . Also in this case it is a free solution that can be useful for you especially for documents for which you have forgotten the old password.
GuaPDF : if you are not very familiar with text editors, then this program may be for you, since it is very easy to use . On the other hand, the free version has several limitations , so you will have to opt for the paid version to make the most of it. Among the main functions are password removal and removal of restrictions . An interesting alternative if you want to try the free version and then switch to the paid version.
macOS
Are you not a fan of Microsoft operating systems and prefer to rely on Apple and its macOS ? In this case, there are several interesting software that you could use as programs to unlock PDFs.
PDFKey Pro : this tool is the most appreciated by those who have an Apple device, in fact, it allows you to use it with a really well-made simplified interface . On the other hand, however, it is not a free tool , therefore, you will have to purchase the paid version to be able to take advantage of the features such as password removal and removal of restrictions . Decryption is quite fast, although in this case the completion time of the password removal depends on the performance of your device. The purchase cost depends on the period in which you will buy it, on this program there are periodic discounts , but you have to be a little lucky to be able to have it. Currently there is a limited free trial (Demo) that allows you to try the program, or the promotion of 24.99 dollars .
PDFCrack : Just like for Windows, you can also download and use this program on macOS. We won’t repeat the pros and cons since we’ve already done that before, but we emphasize that it is available for free .
iLovePDF : if the idea of a software like PDFCrack doesn’t appeal to you, then we recommend trying this free solution . It’s a very easy-to-use program but it necessarily requires an Internet connection to work . Its peculiarity is the online password removal by uploading the document directly to their server. As you can imagine, it cannot be installed on macOS, but you will have to use Safari or another web browser to use it at its best. For more information, you can consult our guide on how I Love PDF works .
Linux
Open source operating systems, such as Linux , are often the ideal choice for computer enthusiasts; this solution allows you not only to have a faster and leaner computer in everyday activities, but also to benefit from many free programs of excellent quality.
In addition to recommending QPDF (to be installed with Homebrew and from the terminal type brew install qpdf ) to remove printing and editing restrictions, which you can download for free, and PDFCrack to unlock simple passwords and recover keywords with brute force , the ideal solution could be PDF Studio . Online you can find an infinite number of programs for Linux that allow you to unlock PDF files, but they often fail to achieve their goal due to incompatibilities.
PDF Studio : by choosing this software instead, you can count on an excellent tool complete with advanced features. The only flaw of this software to unlock PDF is the cost, in fact, unlike the other two solutions, this one is paid; a bit anachronistic for Linux, we know. Fortunately, you can also download the Trial version that allows you to create PDFs and insert passwords , but if you want to unlock digital documents you will need the full paid version. Currently the cost of the suite is 179 dollars for a single license , while if you prefer to buy more than one the costs would be lowered for each: 159 dollars for two licenses , 139 dollars for 25 licenses and 119 dollars for 100 licenses . On Linux it is difficult to find software, to unlock PDF, as professional as PDF Studio, even if having to pay for a license on an open source system could turn up the nose of long-time enthusiasts.
iOS
You don’t have a business and your only goal is to unlock some PDF documents from your smartphone? Then on the Apple Store you can download an infinite number of interesting applications. Unfortunately, however, most of the Apps fail to actually unlock PDF files, making the conversion and unlocking process completely useless. Let’s see which applications are best at this functionality.
PDF Expert : this application may surprise you because it offers one of the most intuitive interfaces currently available for a program of this type. On the other hand, there is no stable free version , but you will have to rely on the paid one. The main functions of this tool are password removal and restriction removal . An excellent choice especially if you want an intuitive program that in two clicks allows you to unlock your PDF file, even if it is not always free on the Apple Store.
iLovePDF : could the iOS version of iLovePDF be missing ? Obviously not, you can download it from the Apple Store completely free of charge and benefit from a simple to use tool with a good password removal . Once you have downloaded the free application , to use the PDF unlocking you will have to tap on the Tools item , at the bottom, and select Unlock PDF . Upload the file and wait a few seconds.
PDF Viewer : a free alternative of excellent quality with which you can access some file editing features. Its strong point is the removal of passwords as well as the viewing of any file in PDF format. This PDF editor allows you to modify your documents and eliminate keywords; to do this, download the App from the Apple Store and select the file you want to customize. We anticipate, however, that the interface is not among the most user-friendly.
Android
The Google Play Store is full of apps that can unlock password-protected PDFs , but as on iOS, most of them fail to do so. Let’s see the best ones to try and install.
PDF Utilities : this is the first program to download on your Android smartphone if you want to unlock password-protected digital documents. Very simple to use and in just a few taps it allows you to access your files if you don’t remember the password; on the other hand, there are a few advertising banners . Both the password removal and restriction removal features are excellent. If you prefer a free tool , this may be the right one for you on Android.
Unlock PDF – Remove Password : This is an interesting alternative to unlock PDF files, especially because unlike the previous solutions it is also very small in terms of space occupied on the memory disk . On the other hand, it brings with it some bugs on specific mobile devices, therefore, it may ask you for the password once the file is uploaded, if this happens, opt for an alternative software.
PDF Tools : for Android devices this is probably the most complete program, but it is not free of advertising inside. Again you can remove passwords and restrictions, as well as download it for free from the Play Store .
Risks of Using PDF Unlocking Software
When you download a program to unlock PDF files, whether online or offline, you can encounter several risks.
The first is definitely downloading malware disguised as legitimate programs . In fact, some software may contain malware that damages your PC.
Just as a risk is entering your personal data on fraudulent websites . Imagine uploading a PDF file of your ID card to unlock it and “give away” the information to the platform used.
Other risks to consider are: copyright infringement to be careful of, the integrity of the file that could be damaged and the loss of protection making the document accessible to anyone.
Protect Yourself from the Risks of PDF Unlocking Software
You may be wondering how you can protect yourself from a possible risk, right? First of all, download software only from official platforms , such as Play Store , Apple Store , Microsoft Store and reliable sites . Then take a look at user reviews to get an idea of how the program works, also using Trustpilot .
Finally, we recommend that you always use antivirus and antimalware to detect potential threats, back up PDF files to avoid their loss, check the required permissions to avoid accessing sensitive data, and download PDF unlocking software from trusted sources.
Alternatives to Using PDF Unlocker Programs
If you are afraid of uploading your digital documents in PDF format to an online platform or local software, then you may want to consider alternative solutions.
For example, you can contact the author of the document and request the password , or use online services that unlock PDFs and then delete the files, in this case iLovePDF is the most recommended choice. Otherwise, you could convert the PDF to a different format in order to edit it later .
Other alternatives are:
- Document management softwarewith PDF unlocking capabilities, such as Adobe Document Cloud, which integrates Adobe Acrobat Pro with a wide range of features, including PDF document unlocking.
- Google Drive, in some cases, allows you to access a document without restrictions after uploading it with Google Docs .
- Consulting an IT professionalfor technical assistance.
Using PDF Unlocker Programs: The Importance of Copyright
Many times a PDF file is password protected because it tries to preserve its content, in fact, an author could add a password on free PDF books or an important document to prevent it from being easily distributed. Therefore, it is necessary to respect the laws regarding copyright and avoid using software to unlock PDF files to carry out fraudulent activities.
When you unlock a copyrighted PDF file, you are committing an illegal act, with serious consequences.
Frequent questions
How can I unlock a PDF online for free?
You can use online sites or free software like iLovePDF , SmallPDF , PDFCandy , and Google Drive (doesn’t always work).
How can I unlock a PDF if I forgot my password?
You can recover the password with dedicated services or with the programs listed above, both free and paid. Using the Unlock PDF command and following the instructions, you can remove the protection from your PDF files with the Adobe Acrobat Pro program . Open the PDF, enter the password and go to Protection > Remove Protection. Save the document without the password. If you do not have the password, you can try one of the online services already mentioned: iLovePDF or SmallPDF .
Is it legal to unlock a PDF?
Yes, but only if you are not violating copyright. Using tools to remove passwords or restrictions on PDF without permission may violate legal regulations.
Conclusions
We conclude this guide by reiterating the concept that unlocking PDF files can become a necessity to access and modify protected documents. It is essential to use tools responsibly and legally, respecting copyright and original authorizations. Understanding these risks is essential to protect both your data and that of others.
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