Are online PDF tools safe for private documents?
Quick answer
Most online PDF tools upload your file to a server, where it is kept for a while. That is a risk for IDs, bank statements and contracts. Tools that work inside your browser, like ShushPDF, never upload the file. You can check this yourself with airplane mode.
Online PDF tools are convenient, but the documents we use them for are often the most private ones we have: passports, tax forms, payslips, medical letters and contracts. It is worth knowing where those files go.
What usually happens when you "upload"
With most online PDF tools, your file is sent over the internet to the company's computers (servers). The work is done there, and you download the result. Reputable services say they delete files after a few hours. But while it is there, your document is on someone else's computer, and you have to trust that it is handled well and really deleted.
The alternative: tools that run in your browser
Modern browsers are powerful enough to edit PDFs by themselves. Tools built this way open the file on your own phone or computer. Nothing is sent anywhere, so there is nothing to leak, store or delete. ShushPDF works like this for every tool.
How to check any tool in 30 seconds
- The airplane mode test. Open the tool's page, then switch on airplane mode or turn off Wi-Fi. Now try to use it. If it still works, your file is not being uploaded. If it gets stuck, it needs a server.
- The Network test (on a computer). Press F12, open the Network tab, then use the tool. If you see your file being sent, usually a large request, it is being uploaded.
- Read the privacy page. Look for how long files are kept and who can access them. Vague answers are a warning sign.
Warning signs
- No privacy policy, or one that does not mention your files.
- Asking you to create an account just to compress or merge a file.
- Lots of pop-ups, or "download" buttons that are really adverts.
- Asking you to install an extension or an app for a simple job.
The safest habits
- Use browser-based tools for anything with personal details.
- Hide details you do not need to share, such as your ID number on a copy, with Edit PDF's Hide tool.
- Add a watermark like "Copy for ABC Bank only" to ID copies with Watermark, so the copy cannot easily be reused elsewhere.