How do you remove password protection from a PDF?

If you have a Mac, you can use Preview, the native PDF tool built into all macOS devices, but it cannot fully handle complex PDF editing tasks because it only supports basic operations—such as disable password protection on a PDF through its export feature.

It allows you to strip PDF encryption with one simple export step, but using this decryption feature requires entering the original PDF unlock password first.

First, locate your password-locked PDF file and open it directly in Preview. Input the correct opening password to gain full access to the PDF content.

Click the File menu at the top navigation bar, then choose the Export option from the dropdown list. Uncheck the "Encrypt" tickbox on the export pop-up panel, pick a storage directory, and confirm to save the new unencrypted PDF file.

Once exporting finishes, you will get a copy of the document with all password restrictions removed.

This method can only be used to disable password protection on a PDF on macOS computers, so it is only suitable for users who own Mac devices and have the valid PDF opening password.

If you don’t want to download third-party PDF software, you can try this method. It relies entirely on built-in system features, so you can use it without extra installation costs.