PDF password: How to remove it

Some PDFs are already protected with a password by the sender. If you do not know this password, you cannot read the document. But every now and then you also want to protect sensitive documents that you send in PDF format with a password so that they are safe from unauthorised access. Good PDF converters make this step easy. But how can you remove the PDF password once it has been set? We show it step by step.

How to remove the PDF password in Windows

By its very nature, a file that is password protected can only be opened if the password is known. And only then can the protection be removed, for example to print the document or make changes to it.

Here's how it works:

Open PDF file
Enter password
Click on the "Print" option and select "Print to PDF"
Windows 10 offers the option directly with the command "Microsoft Print to PDF"
Confirm
Select the destination folder for the file
"Click "Save

This automatically creates a copy of the file, which you can save without password protection.

The steps for Mac users

Via the browser, removing the PDF password also works with the „Print to PDF“ command, just like on Windows computers:

Open PDF
Enter password
"Select "Print
Select "Save as PDF" from the drop-down menu in the bottom left-hand corner
Select destination
Confirm

An even easier alternative is to open the encrypted PDF with „Preview“. After entering the password, select „File“ in the menu bar, then click on „Export as PDF“ in the submenu. Search for a storage location, confirm – done!

Can the PDF password also be removed on the smartphone?

Sure, mobile phones also offer possibilities in this regard. However, a distinction must be made between Android and iOS (iPhone):

Android:

First, install an appropriate app such as Google PDF Viewer or PDF Utilities.
Enter the PDF and decrypt it with a password.
Then create an unencrypted copy with "Print to PDF" as described above.

iOS:

Open PDF
Select "Share" icon
Tap the "Print" function
In the print preview, tap the "Share" icon again
Select the target volume for the copy
Confirm

Use PDF software

In order to be able to create a PDF at all, you first need a PDF converter. With such a PDF software, you can not only add a PDF password to documents, but also easily remove it again. Adobe Acrobat 2020 is at the top of the class here, allowing MIP-protected files to be opened under Windows and Mac. After the security systems AIP (Azure Information Protection) and Information Protection for Office 365, MIP (Microsoft Information Protection) is considered absolutely secure protection for sensitive documents and data in PDF format. Adobe Acrobat 2020 (as well as Acrobat Reader 2020) automatically detects if a file is MIP-protected. Users are then automatically prompted to download and install a plug-in from the Adobe help page. This then allows corresponding files that are protected with a PDF password to be opened without any problems.

For Adobe Acrobat DC users

Many users also use the PDF software Adobe Acrobat DC. With this, it is possible to remove the PDF password in just three steps:

Open PDF file
In the security settings, select "Tools", then in the submenu select "Protect", "More options" and "Remove security settings".
Depending on the type of protection, you can now remove the password with a simple click on "OK". Or a prompt appears to enter the password, which one must confirm twice with "OK".

Online tools for removing the PDF password

Those who do not want to or cannot carry out the steps described above also have the option of reading and editing password-protected documents online . Online PDF softwares such as PDF24 or PDFCreator allow you to copy the protected document to the website. Then all that needs to be done is to enter the password, and seconds later a copy of the document is created without password protection.