Many PDFs are currently password protected for multiple reasons that give users peace of mind so that their information cannot be viewed or modified by other people. On the other hand, there are occasions when a protected file is no longer necessary to remain so, or a version without a password is saved for various purposes and objectives. If you want to make a PDF file not password protected, you will know how to complete this simple task through different alternatives.
What Situations It Is Desirable to Make a PDF not Password Protected
Before showing you how to do this process, it is pertinent to recommend to you in what situations it is desirable to make a PDF not password protected. Some of them are:
Allow viewing or editing your document: You may want to make a PDF not password protected because you need people to view or edit the content. If this is your idea, you no longer need to add a password.
Allow collaboration of other authors: If you are working in a team with other people, there may be no problem that they access your information; this is enough for you to protect your PDF file with a password.
Show a preview or fragment of work: If you are working with content that you want to share to display specific information massively, you should know how to make a pdf document not password protected. Consequently, anyone can enjoy the content without having to decrypt it.
Share a non-profit job: Likely, you have a document that you do not need to sell or obtain income from; if this is the case, the best decision you can make is to make your document not password protected.
You require your work to be reviewed: If you need to have your work reviewed, it is normal for this task to be carried out by several people, so removing the password would be much more convenient for those who want to help you.
Part 1. How to Make a PDF not Password Protected with PDFelement
The first alternative that I will share with you is PDFelement, a professional application with which you can make a PDF file not password protected in a matter of minutes. Thanks to its attractive and fluid interface, completing this task will not be difficult for you; below, I will show you how to do it on Windows and Mac.
Windows
Before starting any tutorial, you must have the file's password; otherwise, you will not be able to open it, and there will be no way to do this task. If you are a Windows user, please do the following:
Step 1: Open your PDF file
Open your PDF file with PDFelement.
Step 2: Enter the password
PDFelement will ask you for the password, enter it, and press the “OK” button.
Step 3: Open password settings
Click “Set Password” to open the password settings.
Step 4: Remove password
Uncheck the square next to “Open Password,” this will make your PDF not password protected. Now click “Save” to make changes.
Step 5: Save your PDF file
Once you made your PDF not password protected, hit the “File” tab and then select “Save As.” Finally, choose the location to save the PDF.
Mac
If you are a Mac user, the steps are not the same, but they are also accessible. Here I will show you how to do it:
Step 1: Open your PDF
Right-click the document icon you want to open. Then, click “Open With” from the drop-down list and select “Wondershare PDFelement.”
Step 2: Enter password
Write the password of your document to open it.
Step 3: Remove security
Click the “File” tab, and from the listed options, select “Protect,” then go to “Remove Security.” This action will make a PDF not password protected.
Step 4: Confirm
If you did it well, PDFelement would display a dialogue box telling you completed the removal successfully. Just click the “OK” button to continue.
Step 5: Save the PDF file
Click the “File” tab again and go to “Save As….”
Step 6: Edit name and select location
Please write your not-protected PDF's name and select the location where you want to save it. To make sure PDF is not encrypted, I recommend you open the file right away, and you should be able to see the document's content without PDFelement asking you to enter a password.
Have you noticed how easy it was to use PDFelement on both Windows and Mac? Regardless of the operating system you use, this fascinating software will help you make PDFs not password protected. If you are a user who uses this type of file, PDFelement will be the answer to everything, thanks to the fact that it has an immense number of tools and add-ons to help you get the most out of your documents.
Watch the tutorial given below to learn all about the best PDF editor for Mac.
Part 2. How to Make a PDF not Password Protected Online
If you don't want to download an app or use a computer that isn't yours, you probably don't have the time or confidence to download software. If this is the case, don't worry, there is an effective solution.
I recommend you use HiPDF to make a PDF not password protected; this powerful online tool is straightforward to use and will allow you to make a PDF file not password protected quickly and safely. To do so, just follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to HiPDF the website and open the “Unlock PDF” tool
Open your browser, go to https://www.hipdf.com/, and then hit the “Unlock PDF” tool.
Step 2: Upload your PDF file
Click the “Choose file” button and look for the PDF file you want to upload.
Step 3: Unlock PDF
Type the password of your file and click “Unlock” to decrypt it and make the PDF not password protected.
Step 4: Download the PDF
Finally, click the “download” button and select the location to store your document.
If you don't want sophisticated software, HiPDF can provide you with the essential elements you need. As you can see, it was elementary to make a password not protected, and this online page has several more tools that can be very useful in any emergency.
Part 3. How to Make a PDF File Not Password Protected Using Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a trendy alternative, this application is used by thousands of people daily, so if you have it at your fingertips, you can also make a PDF not password protected employing simple steps that I will show you here:
Step 1: Run Adobe Acrobat
Run Adobe Acrobat and open your file, then enter the password and click “OK.”
Step 2: Go to Properties
Click the “File” tab, and from the drop-down list, select “Properties….”
Step 3: Change security method
You will see a dialogue box. Click the “Security” tab and then select the “Security Method” box and click “No Security.”
Step 4: Click “OK”
Finally, click the “OK” button to confirm, and your PDF now will not have password protection. You can save it or save it as a new one to get a new version.
Part 4. Make a PDF Document Not Password Protected Using Print
Another way to make a PDF file not password protected is by using the “Print” option in a browser. You can do this task in various browsers; below, I will share how to complete it through Chrome:
Step 1: Open your PDF and enter the password
Open the PDF file with Chrome, write the password, and click “Submit” to access the content.
Step 2: Go to the “Print” tool
Click the three dots located on the upper-right part of the screen. Hit “Print…” to open the tool.
Step 3: Change print destination
Click the “Change…” button to change the print destination.
Step 4: Select “Save as PDF”
Go to the “Local Destinations” area and select “Save as PDF.” This option will make your PDF not password protected.
Step 5: Save your PDF
Click the “Save” button.
Step 6: Select location
Select the folder you want to store your file and click “Save.”
Indeed, you already realized how easy it is to make a PDF not password protected through several alternatives. Regardless of which option you choose, this is an effortless task to accomplish and shouldn't take up too much of your time; however, there will always be better options than others, and PDFelement meets all the requirements you can ask for. If your need is basic or emergent, HiPDF is more than enough to give you the certainty that you will be able to decrypt the PDF you want without problems.
You should note that it is vital to have the PDF file password that you want to remove the protection from; otherwise, you will not be able to complete any tasks you require.
Conclusion
Adding security to PDF files is always important because it will prevent people you don't want to see your information from accessing your documents or having the opportunity to edit, modify or save your content, which is a significant advantage. However, there are exceptions under which it is pertinent to make a PDF not password protected. A task that you could already conclude is straightforward. If you do it through professional and efficient software such as PDFelement, completing this process will be completed more than easy for you.