Password-protect a PDF
Encrypt with a password
Where it runs: On your machine.
Settings
Optional. It is what allows the restrictions to be lifted. Left empty, a random one is drawn that nobody knows: set one if you want to be able to lift them yourself.
What the reader will be allowed to do
These permissions state an intention, they are not protection: a reader can ignore them, and some do. Only the password actually protects.
Drop a file to begin.
Everything happens in this tab. The file is never sent, so there is no upload, no queue and no size ceiling beyond your device's memory.
What this tool does
AES-256 encryption, the one cipher in the format that is not broken. The password is used in this tab and sent nowhere: the least you should expect from a tool whose whole point is that.
In the same family
Where the file goes
How to do it
- 01Drop in the PDF.
- 02Type the password that will open the document.
- 03Encrypt and download the protected file.
Frequently asked questions
- Which encryption is used?
- AES-256, the part of the format that is not broken. The older PDF protections are bypassed in seconds with a public tool; this one is not forced, it is guessed, which is why the password you pick matters.
- Is my password sent anywhere?
- No. It is used in this tab and does not leave it, which is the least you should expect from a tool built for exactly that. The encrypted document is produced on your device.
- What if I forget the password?
- Nothing is recoverable, and that is what working encryption means. Unlock does not break the protection: it passes through it, with the password. Write it down somewhere before you close the tab.