# PDF Password

Canonical URL: https://offlineutils.com/pdf-password
Category: PDF
Published: 2026-06-24
Publisher: offlineutils.com
Runs entirely in the browser; nothing entered into the tool is uploaded.

> A PDF password tool encrypts a PDF with a password (or removes an existing password when you supply it), using AES encryption performed entirely in the browser so the document and its password never reach a server.

Two modes. Add a password encrypts the PDF with AES via the @cantoo/pdf-lib fork, setting a user password required to open it plus optional permission flags. Remove a password loads a protected PDF with the password you provide and saves a clean, unprotected copy. Both run locally — the file and the password stay in your tab, which is the whole point when the document is a contract, statement, or medical record.

## Features

- Add an AES password that's required to open the PDF
- Remove a known password and save an unprotected copy
- Set permissions (printing, copying, modifying)
- File and password never leave your browser
- Works offline once the page has loaded

## Use cases

- Encrypting a contract before emailing it
- Removing a password from a statement you already unlock daily
- Protecting an exported report with a shared password
- Locking ID or medical scans before storing them

## How to use it

1. **Pick a mode** — Choose Add password or Remove password.
2. **Load and enter the password** — Drop the PDF and type the password to set, or the current password to remove.
3. **Download** — Download the encrypted or unprotected PDF.

## When to use it, and when to use something else

- **vs Online lock/unlock PDF sites** — use PDF Password when you refuse to upload a confidential file (and its password) to a third party. Use Online lock/unlock PDF sites when you've forgotten the password and need a recovery service — this tool can't crack passwords.
- **vs `qpdf --encrypt` CLI** — use PDF Password when you want a browser UI on any device. Use `qpdf --encrypt` CLI when you're scripting batch encryption.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can this remove a password I don't know?

No. Removing protection requires the correct password — this is not a password cracker. It decrypts a document you're authorized to open and saves an unprotected copy.

### Does my file or password get uploaded?

Never. Encryption and decryption run entirely in your browser via @cantoo/pdf-lib. Open DevTools → Network and you'll see zero requests.

### What encryption is used?

AES, the standard for password-protected PDFs, applied through the maintained @cantoo/pdf-lib fork. The user password is required to open the file.

### Can I set permissions like 'no printing'?

Yes. When adding a password you can restrict printing, copying, and modifying via the permission flags, enforced by the encryption handler.

## Related tools

- https://offlineutils.com/pdf-merge
- https://offlineutils.com/pdf-organize
- https://offlineutils.com/exif-stripper