Password protect a PDF
Add AES-256 password protection to a PDF, entirely on your own device. Without the password, the document cannot be opened.
How to use it
- Choose your PDF, or drag it onto the box.
- Type a password twice.
- Press Protect PDF and download the protected copy.
How strong is it?
The copy is encrypted with 256-bit AES, the strongest protection the PDF standard offers, and every current PDF reader can open it with the password. The protection is only as good as the password: a long phrase of several words is far safer than a short word with a number on the end.
Keep the password safe
Nobody can recover a forgotten password, including us. We never see it: it is used inside your browser and then forgotten when you close the page. Send the password to the recipient separately from the document, for example by text message rather than in the same email.
A password stops strangers opening the document. It does not stop someone who has the password from sharing the document or what it says, so only give it to people you trust with the contents.
Limiting printing and copying
You can also ask PDF readers to stop people printing the document or copying its text. Most readers respect these limits, but some ignore them, so they are a request rather than a lock. The opening password is the real protection.
Questions
Can I remove the password later?
Yes, with Remove PDF password, as long as you know the password.
Are my files uploaded?
No. The work happens inside your web browser, on your own device. Before your file is opened, this page locks itself: from then on your browser refuses to let it fetch, upload or send anything at all. You can check: once the page has loaded, switch off your internet connection and it will still work. How the lock works.