You need the password: this is not a cracker
A password-protected PDF is encrypted, and the key that unlocks it is derived from the password. With the correct password the tool rebuilds that key, decrypts every page, image, font and form field, and writes them back without encryption. With a wrong password the key cannot be rebuilt, so the tool simply says the password does not open the file. It never tries lists of passwords or guesses, and there is no way here to recover a forgotten one. Unlock only documents that are yours or that you have the right to open, such as your own statements, or files a colleague sent you with the password.
Open password and permissions password
The PDF format lets a file carry two passwords. The open (user) password is the one a reader asks for before showing the pages. The permissions (owner) password controls limits such as no printing or no copying. According to the PDF specification, entering either one opens the document, and this tool accepts both. Some PDFs open without any password but still limit printing or copying; the page tells you when that is the case, and those limits are removed only with the permissions password. The unlocked copy has no password and no restrictions at all.
Which protected PDFs work
The tool supports the standard password security built into PDF: the older RC4 encryption with 40-bit or 128-bit keys, AES-128, and AES-256 from PDF 2.0, which our Protect PDF tool also uses. Arabic and English passwords are both accepted. A PDF locked to a digital certificate, or by a company rights-management system that checks your account online, does not use a password and cannot be opened here. Files that open but were damaged before they were protected may also fail; in that case try opening them in a PDF reader first.
What changes in the unlocked copy
Only the protection is removed. The text stays selectable and searchable, scanned pages keep their full image quality, links, bookmarks and form fields stay where they were, and the file name gets _unlocked added so you can tell the copies apart. Because the file is written again, a digital signature in the original will show as no longer valid. Once it is unlocked, you can merge it with other files, split it, sign it or compress it with our other PDF tools, and add a new password at the end if you need one.
Privacy and keeping the copy safe
The PDF and the password stay inside this browser tab. Decryption uses the Web Crypto API built into your browser and the pdf-lib library, and no part of the file or password is sent to NeedMyTools or anyone else. Remember that the unlocked copy can be read by anyone who gets it: keep it on your own device, delete it from shared computers and downloads folders when you are done, and protect it again before emailing it. Files up to 100 MB work on most computers; phones with little memory may struggle with very large scans.