Are you locked out of PDF right now and desperately seeking a free and quick fix without downloading anything? Or, are you concerned about the potential risk of data loss or damage after using an online PDF unlocking program?
Relax. This post explained 5 legitimate and safe methods to unlock forgotten PDF password without software. But if these software-free methods don’t work, reputable offline PDF password recovery software is your guaranteed solution.
There are 2 types of PDF passwords used to protect your PDFs:
User Password (Open Password): Protect PDF file from opening.
Owner Password (Permission Password): Protect PDF file from making changes on editing, copying, printing, etc.
What to Do If You Forgot PDF Password?
First, you should figure out whether you can open and view the content of the PDF file.
If you are required to enter the password for opening a PDF file, then your only 100% success rate solution to crack unknown password is using Cisdem PDF Password Remover.
If you can open the PDF file, but are restricted to edit, copy or print, then all the methods listed below can help you effortlessly.
When you forgot the PDF password, try these 5 free online methods that require NO software installation first. Note that these techniques are never used for highly sensitive and strongly encrypted documents.
Best for: permission-password protected PDF.
Google Chrome is listed first because it is a must-have browser on many users' devices. It has a built-in PDF viewer that sometimes ignores certain permission settings when printing. With this handy browser, you can easily get a new unprotected PDF without additional software. But the premise is that the file is not restricted from printing.
Limitation: The saved copy might lose some advanced features or form data, because printing will flatten a PDF.
Best for: permission-password protected PDF.
Google Drive is a cloud storage service owned by Google. It enables users to store, organize and edit files, as well as collaborate within teams. Besides, it has a set of practical office suits, including Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. All files created here will be automatically saved to Google Drive.
Limitation: Because PDF and Word are two completely different file formats, the converted Word will more or less lose its original formatting. If your PDF is large and contains many images, the converted file can easily become unformatted with missing images.
Best for: permission-password protected PDF.
Smallpdf is one of the most well-known PDF platforms that can edit, convert, compress, split, merge, protect and unlock PDF documents. When functioning its unlock PDF tool, it can unlock and remove owner password in one step. But it can only remove user password by entering the right password.
Limitation: There is a limit of daily download.
Best for: permission-password and open-password protected PDF.
iLovePDF is also a versatile online platform that has a wealth of PDF tools. Its unlock PDF feature supports removing various permission passwords and cracking some short and simple open password. In addition, you can unlock two PDF files at a time to improve efficiency. The file size limit is 100 MB, which is enough for most of the files.
Limitation: It takes a long time to crack an open password, even if it is very simple, like 1234. And it fails to remove PDF password sometimes, especially when the password is long and complicated, which requires longer time or more advanced tech to decrypt.
Best for: permission-password and open-password protected PDF.
LostMyPass is a dedicated PDF password remover based on web. It is capable of removing both permission password and open password. The success rate depends on the recovery method you choose: weak password recovery (free), strong password recovery ($29.00) and brute force (upfront payment required). Its free cracking function is much weaker than paid ones, whose success rate is only 22%.
Limitation: Simple numeric passwords, such as 4321, can be quickly cracked for free, but for passwords with special symbols including $, %, #, the speed of cracking will be very slow, or even fail.
When all the above “without software” methods fail, Cisdem PDF Password Remover is your guaranteed solution for removing forgotten PDF passwords. Whether it’s an owner password preventing editing or a user password blocking access, this powerful tool uses advanced decryption algorithms to unlock PDFs in seconds without damaging the original content.
It offers a reliable fix with a near-100% success rate, which is perfect for professionals, students, or anyone handling secured documents.
Useful Tip: Go to the settings as follows. You can check or fill in the options, like password length, additional characters, etc. By doing so, you will save a lot of time removing the password.
These three steps will safely remove the password from your PDF file, while guaranteeing the integrity of the documents. Now you can open and edit it immediately.
You can also follow this video step by step to unlock your PDF without knowing password.
We know that you don’t want to be locked out of PDF anymore. So, let’s discuss some strategies to prevent the similar situation.
If we forgot the password of a PDF file, we can use tools to remove or recover the password. Remember to regularly back up your files together with password information, and consider using a password manager to manage your passwords.
For the sake of information safety and 100% success to unlocking the PDF, desktop programs such as Cisdem PDF Password Remover is highly recommended, because it does exactly what is said on the tin, removing password restrictions and cracking PDF in a safe and efficient way. And in our test, it can unlock PDF file passwords with 100% probability.
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
Free Download macOS 10.13 or later
Carolyn has always been passionate about reading and writing, so she joined Cisdem as an editor as soon as she graduated from university. She focuses on writing how-to articles about PDF editing and conversion.
Williams
Thanks so much for the kind recommendation of Cisdem PDF Password Remover! Your article was really helpful, and I especially appreciated the detailed, easy-to-follow steps on how to use it to unlock my PDF. Great solution!
Lilah
My new job started with several protected PDF files, I did not know from whom I could get the PDF password. After 3 embarrassing trial, I am determined to buy yours.