Can AfroTools remove a PDF password without the password?

No. The unlock tool creates an unencrypted copy only when you provide a correct open or owner password.

What encryption does the protect tool use?

New protected PDFs use PDF AES-256 encryption through QPDF compiled to WebAssembly.

Are the PDF files uploaded?

No. Files and passwords are processed locally in the browser tab.

PDF Password Protect and Unlock | AES-256 Browser Tool

Mode Protect or unlock

Upload PDFs to protect PDF only

Choose PDFs to password-protect

Single PDF downloads as a PDF. Multiple PDFs download as a ZIP.

No PDFs selected.

Protection Settings AES-256 standard security

Open Password

Empty

Confirm Password

Owner PasswordOptional

Leave blank to generate an internal owner key.

Password Tool

Store the password safely. Lost open passwords cannot be recovered.

Viewer PermissionsCompliant viewers

Allow printing Allow text and image copying Allow document editing Allow comments and annotations Allow form filling Allow page extraction and assembly

Free PDF Password Protection Tool

AfroTools protects PDF files in the browser using QPDF compiled to WebAssembly. You can add an open password, use a separate owner password, control printing, copying, editing, comments, forms, and page assembly, then export one protected PDF or a ZIP of protected PDFs.

Unlock PDFs With a Known Password

The unlock mode removes password protection only after the correct open or owner password is accepted. It creates a new unencrypted PDF copy for easier printing, editing, or archiving.

Privacy and Compatibility

The workflow runs locally in your browser tab, so sensitive PDFs and passwords are not uploaded. New protected files use AES-256 PDF standard security. Permission behavior can vary by PDF reader, so always test a protected file in the reader your recipient will use.

Can I protect many PDFs at once?

Yes. Select multiple PDFs, set the password and permissions once, then download a ZIP containing each protected file.

Can this recover a lost PDF password?

No. AfroTools does not guess, crack, or recover unknown passwords. Unlock requires a valid open or owner password.

Does password protection change PDF quality?

No. Encryption does not rasterize pages or recompress images. The document content is preserved while the PDF security dictionary is updated.

Why use an owner password?

The owner password controls permission changes and full access. If you leave it blank, AfroTools generates an internal owner key so the protected file does not use an empty owner password.