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How to remove printing and copying restrictions from a PDF on iPhone and iPad

Some PDFs open normally but block printing, copying text or editing. If you have the owner password, Unlock my PDF saves a copy without those restrictions in a few seconds, on your iPhone or iPad.

Download on the App Store
Free · 3 a day iPhone and iPad · iOS 16+ About 15 seconds

You need the password. The app opens a protected PDF only with the password you type. If you don't know the password, the app can't open the file: ask whoever sent it to you.

Step by step

  1. Step 1

    Open Unlock and choose the PDF

    In the Unlock tab, tap Tap to choose and pick the PDF from Files. The app reads the file and shows It opens, but some things are blocked, with the list of what is blocked: for example printing, copying or editing.

  2. Step 2

    Type the owner password

    The field is now called Owner password. Type the owner password: it's the one set by whoever created the PDF, and it's different from a password to open.

  3. Step 3

    Slide to unlock

    Drag Slide to unlock at the bottom. The app writes a new copy without the restrictions; the original PDF stays as it is.

  4. Step 4

    Print, copy or share the new copy

    Tap Share and choose Print, or open the copy and select the text you need. Tap Save to Files to keep it.

Good to know

What these restrictions are

A PDF can allow opening but block printing, copying text, editing pages, filling forms or adding comments. These limits depend on the owner password. The app shows which ones your file has before you start.

Who has the owner password

Whoever made the PDF: a company, an office, a school or the colleague who exported it. If the PDF also asks for a password to open, unlock that first with the password to open.

Change the restrictions instead of removing them

With Premium, the Permissions tool can do both: Remove the restrictions (with the owner password) or Set new permissions, for example to allow printing but keep copying blocked.

Why Protect refuses this PDF

If you try to add a password to a PDF with owner restrictions, Protect stops, because the restrictions would be lost. Remove them first, or change them with Permissions.

Free up to 3 times a day. Unlimited with Premium. The PDF is processed on your device. Unlock my PDF has no servers that receive your files.

Questions

What if I don't have the owner password?

Then the restrictions stay. The app removes them only with the owner password: ask whoever created the PDF.

Is the original PDF changed?

No. The app saves a new copy without the restrictions and leaves the original as it was.

Is it free?

Yes. Removing restrictions in the Unlock tab counts as one of your 3 free unlocks a day. The Permissions tool is part of Premium.

Does the PDF get uploaded?

No. Everything happens on your iPhone or iPad; the app has no servers that receive your files.

How to remove a password from a PDF on iPhone and iPad If you know the password, Unlock my PDF saves a copy of the PDF that opens without it, ready to share, print or upload. How to password protect a PDF on iPhone and iPad With Unlock my PDF you choose a PDF, type a password twice and slide: the copy is encrypted and asks for that password every time it's opened, on any device. How to redact a PDF on iPhone and iPad Redact in Unlock my PDF hides sensitive text for good: you search for it or draw boxes over it, and the app deletes what's underneath instead of just covering it.

Do it now on your iPhone or iPad

Unlock my PDF is free to download. Your PDFs are processed on your device: no uploads, no account.

Download on the App Store

Updated October 2026 · app 2.0