Guide · 2 min read
How to remove a password from a PDF (statements, payslips, invoices)
Save a password-free copy of PDFs you can already open, such as bank statements or payslips, and remove printing or copying restrictions.
Many banks, companies and government agencies send documents as password-protected PDFs, often using your ID number or part of it. It's a good security measure for sending, but it's annoying to type the password every time you open the file, or impossible if another program needs to read it.
Before you start: two kinds of protection
- Open password: the PDF won't open without it. To remove it you need to know it.
- Restrictions: the PDF opens without a password but won't let you print, copy text or edit. These can be removed without a password.
Tip: Removing protection is only legitimate for your own documents or with the owner's permission. This guide won't help you open PDFs whose password you don't know, and no honest tool promises that.
Step by step
- Open the Unlock PDF tool and choose the file.
- If it only has restrictions, it's unlocked instantly and you can download it.
- If it asks for a password, type it once and click “Unlock PDF”.
- Download the copy: it will open without asking for a password. The original file isn't changed.
Keep the unlocked copy safe
A bank statement or payslip without a password is more convenient, but also easier to read if someone gets into your computer or cloud storage. Keep them in a private folder and don't forward them unprotected. If you need to send one, you can add a password again with the Protect PDF tool.
Why do it in your browser?
These documents contain very sensitive data: bank accounts, salaries, addresses. Many PDF websites upload the file to their servers to process it. Pagelo does it inside your browser, so your statement and its password never leave your device.