Remove printing/editing restrictions instantly — or recover a forgotten open password with our in-browser recovery engine. Your file never leaves your computer.
Not every locked PDF is locked the same way. If your PDF opens fine but won't let you print, copy text, or edit it, that's a restrictions lock (an "owner password") — PDFPlug strips it in under a second. If your PDF asks for a password just to open, that's an open lock (a "user password") — our recovery engine tries common passwords and PIN patterns entirely in your browser.
Password recovery is best-effort. It finds weak, common, and predictable passwords — the kind people actually forget they set. A strong, unique password on a modern PDF cannot be brute-forced in any reasonable time, in a browser or anywhere else. We show you the real live count of passwords tested and tell you plainly when we've exhausted the search, instead of faking progress. Your file is never uploaded — the entire attempt happens on your device.
Removing restrictions or recovering the password on a document you own — or are authorized to use — is legitimate. That's why we ask you to confirm ownership before the tool runs. Don't use it on documents that aren't yours.
No. Every byte of processing — detection, restriction-stripping, and password recovery — happens inside your own browser. We couldn't see your file if we wanted to.
Common passwords are usually found in seconds. 4-digit PINs take under a minute; 6-digit PINs longer. Strong passwords won't be found — we'll say so instead of wasting your time.
A clean, unlocked PDF with no watermark on the download — same $3 unlock as every other PDFPlug tool (24-hour unlimited pass, no subscription).