Removing a PDF password is not a difficult task. Generally speaking, as long as you know the password, you can use a PDF password remover to remove it, whether it is the open password or the permission password.
Additionally, there are tools available to help you unlock PDFs for editing or printing without knowing the permission password, provided an open password is available.
Without further ado, let's begin learning how to remove password protection from PDFs on a Mac.
Way 1. Remove Password from PDF on Mac with SwifDoo PDF
SwifDoo PDF for Mac is a professional PDF tool that helps users view, protect, edit, annotate, and manage PDF files with ease. Thanks to its simple workflow, you can remove the user or owner password in a few clicks.
After successfully removing the password, you can immediately start editing and working with the PDF file! SwifDoo PDF for Mac offers a range of toolkits to let you handle PDFs like a pro. In short, if you want to unlock a PDF and edit it, SwifDoo PDF is a good choice.
Here is how to remove password from PDF on Mac with SwifDoo PDF:
1. Remove Open Password
- Download, install, and launch SwifDoo PDF for Mac.
- On the homepage, click Open PDF to select the file. Enter the password if required.
- Go to Protect and choose Decrypt. Click Remove to confirm.
2. Remove Permission Password
- Get SwifDoo PDF for Mac.
- Open the PDF with the software. If prompted, enter the password.
- Click the Protect icon at the top and choose Decrypt.
- Enter the permission password and click OK.
Now, you are free to work with the PDF without any restrictions. Of course, you can password-protect PDFs again if needed. To encrypt the PDF, simply click 'Encrypt PDF' and enter the password.
Way 2. Use Mac Preview to Remove Password from PDF
Preview is the built-in PDF viewer and editor on the Mac. The tool offers a range of basic features to help you work with PDFs, including highlighting, adding signatures, removing pages, password protection, and more. If you want to delete the password quickly, Preview is a great option because you don't need to spend time downloading it.
Steps to use Mac Preview to remove a password from a PDF:
1. Remove Open Password
- Right-click the PDF > Choose Open With > Select Preview.
- Enter the password in the window.
- Click File from the menu and select Export.
- Name the file and select a location. Finally, click Save.
2. Remove Permission Password
- Open the PDF in Preview.
- On the menu bar, click File and choose Edit Permissions.
- Input the password and click Unlock.
- Finally, click Apply to confirm.
Way 3. Remove Password Protection via Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a powerful PDF editor that offers numerous features, including password removal for PDFs. However, the free version has limited features. To remove passwords or access more advanced features, you need to upgrade to the Pro version. Overall, Adobe is more suitable for professionals.
Check to learn how to remove passwords from PDFs in Adobe Reader:
- Open the PDF with Adobe Acrobat.
- Enter the password if required.
- Go to File > Properties and choose Security.
- Enter the password. Then, deselect the open password or permission password.
- Click OK and save the PDF file.
Way 4. Remove Password from PDF in Browser
It’s also possible to remove password protection from PDF in a broswer, like Safari, Google Chrome, and Firefox. Simply open the PDF in the browser and save it to your device. It can help you remove both the user password and the owner password.
This is a good choice if you do not know the permission password. However, please note that the PDF will be converted to a scanned version and will be uneditable. You should OCR the PDF and make it editable.
- Open a browser and drag the PDF into the window.
- Click the Print icon or press Command + P to open the print dialog.
- Select Save as PDF as the Destination.
- Adjust other settings and click Save.
Way 5. Remove Password via Google Docs
Google Docs can also help you unlock a PDF without a password. Upload the PDF to Google Drive and save it as a new version. However, the re-saved PDFs may have formatting problems. Therefore, this method is better for a simple PDF document.
- Go to your Google Drive and upload the PDF.
- Open the PDF with Google Docs.
- Adjust the PDF as needed.
- Then, click File > Download and choose PDF format to save the PDF.
Way 6. Remove Password via iLovePDF
Another way to remove a PDF password on a Mac is to use an online unlocker. iLovePDF, Smallpdf, and Online2PDF are all good choices. They can help you remove any password if you know the open password. The free versions of these tools usually have some limitations; for example, iLobePDF can only handle 2 tasks per day.
- In your browser, visit a password remover like iLovePDF.
- Upload the PDF.
- Then, click Unlock PDF and wait for a while.
- When finished, save the new PDF to your Mac.
Conclusion
That’s all about how to remove password from PDF on Mac. You can choose one of the tools mentioned above to help you with your task. Each of these tools is suitable for different situations, and you can try them all to master PDF unlocking fully. That way, when you need to unlock PDF files in the future, you can do it quickly!
