Remove a password from a PDF on your Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To remove a password from a PDF on a Mac with FileDial, select it in Finder, hold the right Option key and choose Sign & Lock › Remove password… Enter the password you were given and FileDial saves an unlocked copy beside the original. You need to know the password; FileDial does not crack it. Everything runs on your Mac, with nothing uploaded.
How to do it with FileDial
- Select the protected PDF in Finder.
- Hold right ⌥ and choose Sign & Lock › Remove password…
- Enter the password you were given.
- Open the unlocked copy that appears beside the original.
Your original file stays untouched. The result is saved beside it, and every result has Undo.
Which option to pick
| Tool | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Remove password…Sign & Lock | You know the password and are tired of typing it; saves an unlocked copy beside the original. |
| Add password…Sign & Lock | Re-locking later with your own password; saves a new protected copy beside the original. |
When removing a PDF password makes sense
Banks, payroll systems and utilities often send statements as password-protected PDFs, typically with a password built from your date of birth or account details. That is sensible in transit, but tiresome once the file is on your own Mac: Spotlight can't index the contents, every opening asks for the password, and some apps refuse to import the file at all. An unlocked copy fixes all of that.
Removing the password is only for documents you are entitled to open, and you need the actual password. FileDial does not guess or crack passwords. If you have lost it, ask the sender to resend the file.
Think about where the unlocked copy will live. If it holds sensitive details, store it somewhere already protected, such as an encrypted disk or a folder you control, rather than a shared drive. And if you need to send it on later, add your own password with Add password… so the person you share it with gets a password you chose.
- Monthly statements: unlock, then file them where Spotlight can search them.
- Importing into accounting or note apps: unlock first if the app rejects protected PDFs.
- Forwarding to someone else: re-lock with your own password.
Why not unlock it on a website?
Unlocking sites ask you to upload the protected file and usually the password too, so whatever the sender meant to keep private becomes readable on someone else's server. Cybernews reported in July 2024 that two online PDF services exposed 89,062 user-uploaded files through open Amazon S3 storage, among them passports, IDs and contracts.
The FBI Denver Field Office warned in March 2025 that free online document tools can scrape personal data, including passwords and banking details. Unlocking on your Mac keeps both the file and the password off the internet.
Other ways to remove a PDF password on a Mac
Preview can often do it for free: open the PDF, enter the password, then export or save a copy, which generally produces an unlocked version if the document's permissions allow it. The exact options vary by macOS version.
FileDial is faster when you have a stack of protected statements: one gesture from Finder, a batch of files at once, the protected original left untouched, and Undo on every result.
Questions
Can FileDial unlock a PDF if I forgot the password?
No. Remove password… needs the correct password. FileDial does not guess or crack passwords, so if you have lost it, ask the person or organisation that sent the file to resend it.
Is the protected original deleted?
No. FileDial saves an unlocked copy beside the original, which stays unchanged and still protected. Undo removes the unlocked copy if you decide you don't need it.
Can I unlock several PDFs at once?
Yes. FileDial works in batches: select the PDFs in Finder and choose Sign & Lock › Remove password… Each one gets an unlocked copy beside it, and the originals stay protected.
Is my password sent anywhere?
No. The tool runs on your Mac and works with Wi-Fi off. File names, paths and contents are never sent, and neither is the password you type.
What does FileDial cost?
A 1-day free trial with every tool, no card and no account, then $20 once for a lifetime licence on 2 Macs. There is a 14-day refund.