How to Password Protect a PDF (and What It Actually Protects)

A password on a PDF stops people without it from opening the file. It is a sensible step for documents containing financial or personal information.

Adding a password

Open Protect PDF, choose the file, enter a password twice and download the encrypted copy. Encryption happens in your browser, so neither the file nor the password is sent anywhere.

Choosing the password

• Use a long passphrase of several unrelated words rather than a short word with a number.
• Do not reuse a password from an account.
• Share it over a different channel from the file, such as a phone call or text message.

Open password versus restrictions

The open password is the real protection. The options to block printing or copying are requests to the PDF software, and some programs ignore them. Treat them as a courtesy, not a lock.

If you forget the password

There is no recovery. Keep an unprotected original in a safe place.

Removing a password later

If you know the password, Unlock PDF produces a copy that opens without it. If the PDF needs a password to open, that copy is rebuilt from page images, so text is not selectable.