Password Protect PDF
Add a password to a PDF and choose what others can do with it.
Runs in your browser — files never leave your device
or drop a file here
How to password protect a PDF
Lock a PDF with a password so only people you share it with can open it. Encryption uses AES-256 and happens on your device, so neither the file nor the password is sent anywhere.
Add the PDF.
Type a password twice and choose the permissions.
Click Protect PDF and download the encrypted file.
Open password and permissions are different things
The open password is the one that actually keeps people out: without it the file cannot be opened at all. The PDF is encrypted with AES-256, the strongest level the PDF standard defines, and the password is never sent anywhere because the encryption runs in your browser.
Permissions are different. Unticking printing, copying or editing tells PDF readers to disable those actions, and most readers honour that, but a reader can choose to ignore it. Use permissions to discourage casual copying, not to protect something confidential. The owner password lets you change those permissions later; if you leave it empty, a random one is used and the permissions are locked for good.
Choosing a password that works everywhere
Any length and any characters are accepted, but a long passphrase you can read out loud is easier to share than a short string of symbols, and just as strong. Send the password by a different channel than the file, for example the PDF by email and the password by message.
Keep an unprotected copy for yourself. If you later need to remove the password from a file you own, Unlock PDF does that, but only when you still know the password.
Protect PDF FAQ
It uses 256-bit AES, the strongest encryption the PDF format supports. It opens in Adobe Acrobat, browsers, and the built-in PDF viewers on phones and computers.
It can't be recovered. Keep the password somewhere safe, and keep an unprotected copy if you may need one.
No. The PDF is encrypted in your browser; the file and password never leave your device.
No. The tool runs entirely in your browser, so your files are processed on your own device and never leave it.
Yes. Every PDFCraftly tool is free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no email required.
Guides
- How to Password Protect a PDF on iPhone or iPadLock a PDF on your iPhone or iPad from Safari: pick the file in the Files app, set a password, then share the encrypted copy by Messages or Mail.
- How to Password Protect a PDF on AndroidLock a PDF on your Android phone from Chrome, with no app to install. Choose the file, set a password, then share the encrypted copy by Gmail or WhatsApp.
- How to Password Protect a PDF on MacEncrypt a PDF on your Mac from Safari or Chrome, with AES-256 and optional print, copy and edit limits. Nothing is uploaded; the file stays on your Mac.
- How to Protect a PDF from Editing and CopyingStop people printing, copying or editing your PDF. Learn what each permission does, why permissions alone are weak, and when you need an open password too.
- How to Password Protect a PDF for FreeLock a PDF with a password using AES-256 encryption, and choose whether it can be printed, copied or edited. Free, in your browser, nothing uploaded.
- Why Won't a PDF Open in WhatsApp? Causes and FixesPDF not opening in WhatsApp? See what differs when receiving versus sending, why a preview may not appear, and how to send a PDF that arrives intact.