Protect a PDF with a password
Choose a password and anyone who opens the PDF will need it. Uses AES-256 encryption, on your own device.
or drop a PDF here
Stays on your phone or computer. Only you see it.
Strong encryption, on your device
We lock the file with AES-256, the strongest encryption the PDF standard offers. The whole document is encrypted, not just hidden behind a screen. Without the password, a PDF app shows nothing but a password box.
How safe the file is depends mostly on your password. A long one that is not a word, a name or a date is much harder to guess.
Keep your password safe
We can't recover a forgotten password. We never see it or store it, and there is no reset link. Save it in a password manager, and keep your original file too if you may need it again. Send the password to the other person in a different way than the file, for example by text message when the PDF goes by email.
What stays the same
Only a password is added. The text stays real text you can select and search, and form fields stay fillable. If the PDF already needs a password to open, unlock it first, then add your new one. Want the answers of a filled form fixed for everyone who opens it? Flatten the form first, so the answers and comments become part of the page, then add the password.
How it works
- 1Choose your PDF
- 2Type a password, then type it again
- 3Download the protected PDF
Questions
What if I forget the password?
We can't recover it, and neither can anyone else who is honest about it. We never see or store your password. Keep it somewhere safe, and keep your original file if you may need it again.
How strong is AES-256?
AES-256 is the strongest encryption in the PDF standard. Your file is only as safe as your password, though: a long password that is not a word, a name or a date is much harder to guess.
Why is there only one password?
PDFs can have two passwords: one to open the file, and an "owner" password for print and copy rules. We set both to the password you choose, so anyone you give it to can open, print and copy from the file normally. Print and copy rules are only a request to PDF apps, and some apps ignore them, so we don't pretend they protect anything.
Will the protected PDF open in other apps?
Yes, in PDF apps that support AES-256, which most current ones do. We checked that our protected files open with the password, and not without it, in PDF.js, the PDF viewer built into Firefox. Very old PDF apps may not be able to open AES-256 files.
Are my files and password uploaded anywhere?
No. Your PDF is locked inside your own browser, on your own device. The file and the password are never sent to a server, and the password is not saved. The locking engine comes from our own website the first time you choose a file, and your browser keeps a copy, so after that it also works without internet.
Is it really free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it is free, with no account, no daily limit and no watermark. Because your device does the work, it costs us almost nothing to run.