Add or remove a password you already know

PDF Password adds a user-known password to an open PDF or removes encryption from a PDF you can already open with that password. The operations run in your browser with pdf-lib; QuickConvert does not see the file or the characters you type. This is intentionally narrow: there is no password recovery, no guessing, and no “send us the locked PDF” workflow.

Passwords protect email attachments people should not skim if a mailbox is shared. They also stop casual printing in a print shop queue. They do not make a PDF impossible to copy once someone knows the secret.

Lock wraps a readable PDF so recipients must type the password you choose before viewers show pages. Unlock writes a new PDF without encryption when you supply the password that already opens the file in Acrobat, Preview, or your phone reader.

If you forgot the password, stop here. Ask the sender for an open copy or locate your backup. Other QuickConvert tools refuse encrypted PDFs without asking for secrets; unlock locally first when you need to compress or reorder.

1. Open PDF Password and choose protect or remove protection.
2. Drop the PDF. For unlock, type the same password the reader prompts for; caps lock and trailing spaces must match.
3. For protect, choose a strong password you will share through a second channel. Avoid embedding the secret in the same email as the attachment when you care about forwarded mail.
4. Download the new file and open it in the viewer your recipient uses. Close the tab on shared machines.

Tax and payroll. Accountants email returns that should not sit readable in a family inbox. Lock here, then attach. Text the password separately.

Applications. Some portals accept passworded PDFs; others reject them outright. Read the upload error before you assume encryption is welcome. When the portal wants a plain file, unlock, verify, then upload.

Compression. PDF Compress and PDF Split refuse locked files. Unlock a copy, run the other tool, and lock again only if the recipient allows it.

Browser encryption is for everyday sensitive paperwork, not classified archives. Owner-password restrictions on printing may differ from desktop Acrobat; test print and copy permissions after you protect.

Digital signatures may invalidate when you re-save. Sign after locking, or archive signed originals separately from passworded copies you circulate.

The password is processed in JavaScript in the tab. It is not posted to QuickConvert. Still treat shared kiosks carefully: shoulder surfers exist. The site’s analytics and ads, described in privacy with online file tools, do not receive PDF bytes.

Passwording does not shrink files. If the protected PDF exceeds a portal cap, unlock, compress with guidance from getting a PDF under an upload limit, then decide whether to lock again.

When you assemble packets with PDF Merge, merge unlocked parts, reorder if needed, then protect the finished bundle once. Naming files “packet-locked.pdf” beats “final.pdf” when multiple versions float in email.

A password stops opportunistic opening; it does not stop a determined insider with the secret. Pair passwords with sensible retention policies. For court submissions that forbid encryption, keep an unencrypted export aligned with the guide on assembling a PDF application packet and store the locked copy only for informal routing inside your office.