Password Protect PDF
Free, no upload — files never leave your device
How to use Password Protect PDF
- Drop your PDF file here
- Type a password and repeat it
- Download the PDF that asks for this password
Lock a PDF without uploading it
You want to email a bank statement, send a signed contract or store a medical report in a shared folder, and only the right person should open it. This tool adds a password to the PDF right in your browser.
Your file and your password stay on your device. The page encrypts the PDF locally, so the document never passes through a server and nobody else ever sees the password.
What the password does
The new PDF asks for the password before it shows a single page. Without it, the pages stay encrypted and no reader can display them.
PDFs know two kinds of protection. A password to open locks the whole file. Restrictions on printing, copying or editing only ask the reader app to behave, and many apps ignore them. This tool sets the password to open, the one that actually protects the content. Anyone who knows the password can then read, print and copy the PDF.
How strong it is
The tool encrypts the PDF with AES-256, the strongest method in the PDF standard, supported by Adobe Acrobat Reader, Chrome, Edge, Safari and macOS Preview. The cipher holds. The weak point is a short password: pick at least 12 characters, or a few random words, and send the password by a different channel than the file, say a text message for a PDF you email.
If you forget the password
Nobody can open the file then, and we cannot help: the password never reached us. Keep the unprotected original somewhere safe, or save the password in a password manager before you send the locked copy.
PDFs that are already locked
A PDF that opens freely but blocks printing or copying gets your password instead of those limits. A PDF that already asks for a password has to be unlocked first, so you can choose a new one.
Questions and answers
Is it safe?
Yes. The PDF is encrypted in your browser. Neither the file nor the password is ever uploaded.
How strong is the protection?
The PDF is encrypted with AES-256, the strongest method the PDF format offers. A long password matters more than anything else.
What if I forget the password?
Nobody can open the file then, including us. Keep the original PDF or store the password in a password manager.
Can I block printing or copying instead?
Not yet. This tool sets a password to open the PDF. Anyone with the password can print and copy.
Which apps ask for the password?
Every common PDF reader: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Chrome, Edge, Safari, macOS Preview and the Files app on iPhone.