Password-protect a PDF
Password-protect a PDF or remove its password right in your browser, free and with no usage limits. Colibrí encrypts the document with AES so it can only be opened with the password you choose, and it can also strip the password from a PDF you already know, along with its permission restrictions. Neither the file nor the password is uploaded to any server: everything happens on your device, with no sign-up and no watermarks. We don’t guess or crack passwords: to remove one, you need to know it.
How to password-protect a PDF
- Drag your PDF onto the upload area or click to choose the file.
- With “Protect” selected, type a password and repeat it to confirm it.
- Click “Protect PDF”: the document is encrypted inside your browser.
- Download the protected PDF. To remove the password later, use “Remove password” mode.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF or my password uploaded to any server?
No. Both encryption and decryption happen in your browser with JavaScript (the pdf-lib library with encryption). Neither the document nor the password ever leaves your device, so it is safe even for confidential files.
What kind of encryption does it use?
It applies 128-bit AES encryption, the standard for protected PDFs. The result is an ordinary PDF that any reader (Acrobat, Preview, your browser’s viewer or your phone) will ask you to open with the password.
Can I remove the password from a PDF?
Yes, as long as you know it. Switch to “Remove password” mode, type the current password and download the unprotected PDF. We don’t crack or guess passwords: this tool isn’t for unlocking other people’s files, only for removing a password you already have.
I forgot the password. Can you recover it?
No. Without the correct password there is no way to read the content: not us, not anyone. That impossibility is exactly what makes encryption useful. Always keep the password somewhere safe.
Is it free? Are there watermarks or limits?
It’s completely free, with no watermark, no sign-up and no daily usage limit. Unlike many sites, you don’t pay and we never ask for your email, and your PDF is never uploaded to any server.
My PDF opens without a password but won’t let me copy or print. Can I remove that?
Yes. Those are permission restrictions (a PDF “protected” with an owner password only). Load it under “Remove password” and, if it opens without asking for a password, leave the field empty and click: you’ll get a copy without those restrictions.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, everything happens locally, so it works without an internet connection.