Password protect a PDF
Encrypts the document so it cannot be opened without the password. Because the encryption is applied in this page, the password and the file both stay on your machine, which is not true of tools that ask you to upload the document first.
How to password protect a PDF
- 1Open the PDFAny document you can read can be encrypted.
- 2Set a passwordLonger is better. This is the only thing standing between the file and whoever ends up with it.
- 3Download the encrypted fileOpening it in any reader now prompts for the password you set.
Questions
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read by your browser and processed in the page. It never reaches a server, so there is no upload to wait for, no queue, and no copy of your document sitting somewhere with a retention policy.
What happens if I forget the password?
The document is not recoverable. There is no reset and no back door, which is the point of encrypting it. Keep the original or record the password somewhere safe.
Can I send the password with the file?
Sending both down the same channel undoes most of the benefit. If the email is intercepted, so is the password. Use a different channel for one of them.
Will it open on phones and in browsers?
Yes. This is standard PDF encryption, so any conforming reader will prompt for the password, including the viewers built into browsers and mobile operating systems.