Password protecting PDF documents is a wise idea. There are many risks related to the leak of personal data, so encrypting your documents is a great way to avoid problems. However, there are also specific situations where it is worth taking off security from a PDF document to make sending and editing more straightforward, even if it is only for a short time. Fortunately, taking off passwords from protected PDF documents is very easy. In this article, you will find out why.
In this article
Part 1. How to Take Password off PDF with PDFelement
Unfortunately, there are no native Windows tools specializing in viewing PDF documents. You can view your documents using web browsers, but not all will be compatible with PDF encryption technology.
There are specialized management tools that allow you to work with protected PDF documents, and possibly the easiest to use is PDFelement.
Solution 1. Take off password protection on PDF on Windows
Taking off passwords with PDFelement on Windows is extremely easy. Just make sure you have the app installed. If you don't have it yet, you can download it by visiting its official website or installing it from the Microsoft Store.
Step 1: Open your PDF
To get started, use PDFelement to open your PDF. If your document is password protected, a pop-up window will appear where you must enter the password that protects the document. Once you do, click "Ok".
Step 2: Take off Password protection
Now go to the "Protect" section of PDFelement and click on the "Set Password" button. A window will appear where you can choose the parameters of the security system. To take off the password from the document, you need to ensure that the "Open Password" and "Permission Password" checkboxes are unchecked. When you're done, click "Save".
Besides removing the passwords, PDFelement can also help you add a password to protect your file. Check out the video given below.
Solution 2. Take off password protection on PDF on Mac
Taking off password protection from a PDF on Mac is more straightforward than on Windows. Now I will show you how to do it but first, make sure you have the PDFelement app installed. If you don't have it yet, you can download it from the App store.
Step 1: Click on “Set Password”
The first thing you should do is open your protected document and enter your password. Then, go to the "File" menu, hover on the "Protect" section, and click on "Remove security".
Part 2. How to Take Password Protection off PDF Online
The methods that I showed you before are effective, but there are situations when you prefer to use online tools that do not require installation or even prefer to use other tools. If this is your case, don't worry. There are alternatives with which you can take off password protection from your PDFs. Now I will show you some examples.
Tip 1. HiPDF
Step 1: Go to Unlock PDF
The first thing you need to do is access the HiPDF website. Next, click on "All tools" and go to the "Unlock PDF" tool.
Step 2: Remove the password
Now you must click on the central button "CHOOSE FILE" to upload your document. When the file is ready, HiPDF will ask you to enter the document password and will process the document. When the process is finished, a download button will appear.
Tip 2. Adobe
Step 1: Get a Free trial
Adobe offers some online tools for working with PDF documents. However, these are not compatible with protected PDFs. However, if you have an active subscription or if you have not yet used the free trial that Adobe gives away, you can install the application.
Step 2: Unlock the Secure PDF
Assuming you have installed Adobe Acrobat Reader, you should first right-click on your PDF document, display the "Open with" menu, and select "Adobe Acrobat." Once you have done this, you will need to enter the password for the document.
Step 3: Save an Unsecure copy
Now, your document is unlocked, and if you use the Adobe Acrobat printing tool, you can create an unsecured copy of the document wherever you want.
Tip 3. Smallpdf
Step 1: Go to Unlock PDF
Go to the Smallpdf website, and under the "Tools" section, select the "Unlock PDF" tool.
Step 2: Remove the password
Click on the "CHOOSE FILE" option, set your file's source location, and wait for the file to be ready. Now you must check the box on the right side of the screen and enter the document's password; When everything is prepared, you must click on "Unlock PDF." When Smallpdf finishes unlocking your file, a download link will appear.
Part 3. Print to PDF to Take Password off PDF
To make the user experience more pleasant, some web browsers allow you to view PDF documents, even those that are password protected. Thanks to the browser's PDF viewing features, it will be possible to use your browser to take off the password from your PDFs. Now I will show you how.
Step 1: Open your PDF with a Web browser
You will first need to open your PDF document with your web browser. Next, a pop-up window will be displayed to enter the document password.
Step 2: Use the Print feature
Now, all you have to do is use the print button, set the "Save as PDF" value to the "Destination" option, and click "Save."
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to take off the password from a PDF document. Most of the methods I've shown you take only a couple of minutes. Still, for practical purposes, if you find it likely or necessary to go through this process multiple times, it's a good idea to use specialized tools like PDFelement. This way, you will save a lot of time, and if, when you finish, you want to protect your document again, it won't take more than a couple of clicks.