PDF Passwords Explained: Protect and Unlock
A PDF can be protected in two different ways, and people often mix them up.
Two kinds of password
- Open password. Needed to view the file at all.
- Owner password. The file opens freely, but actions such as printing, copying or editing can be blocked.
Protect a PDF
- Open Protect PDF and choose your file.
- Type a long password twice. A phrase of several words is better than a short complicated one.
- Tick the permissions you want to allow.
- Save the locked copy and send the password through a different channel than the file.
Nobody can recover a lost password from this tool, because it is never stored.
Unlock a PDF you own
If you know the password and are tired of typing it, Unlock PDF saves a copy that opens freely. Use it only for files you are allowed to open. It cannot guess or break passwords.
Protection is not redaction
A password hides the whole file from outsiders, but anyone who opens it sees everything. To remove private details for good before sharing, use Redact PDF.