How to Remove PDF File Password on Mac

This practical guide walks through how to remove PDF file password on Mac, explains the main requirements, and highlights common issues that may appear along the way.

Once the password is set, anyone who wants to read the contents of your file must provide the exact authentication password known only to you and the authorized recipient. This helps you prevent any unauthorized access to your PDF documents.

On the other hand, sometimes you also need to remove the password that protects your PDF file so that everyone can access and view it without limits. Overall, removing password protection from a PDF file on a Mac is simple, just follow the steps below.

Remove passwords from PDF files on Mac with the Preview tool

As a first step, you need to use Preview to open a password-protected PDF file.

To do this, simply right-click the PDF file that you want to remove the password from and select Open With > Preview. Alternatively, you can also double-click the file to open it with Preview. Any method can be used.

Because the file is being password protected, Preview will ask you to enter the correct authentication code before you can view anything inside.

Just type your password in the given box and press Enter. If the password is correct, you will be able to view this PDF in Preview mode.

Once the file is open, click the 'File' menu > 'Save…' or press the Command + S keyboard shortcut. You can now save your PDF as a new document and rename it. In other words, this will allow a copy of this PDF to be created - but completely without the password. Alternatively, you can also choose a new save location for the file - such as your downloads folder or somewhere in iCloud for quick access in the future.

You will see the new PDF file saved in the attachment folder you selected above. When launching this file in any PDF reader, including Preview , you'll find that it doesn't ask for a password anymore. You can send files to anyone, and they will have absolutely unrestricted access to their contents.