[Solved] How to Unlock PDF on MAC OS X
In this blog, I am going to tell you how to unlock PDF on MAC OS.
Are you having difficulties with the locked PDF on your Mac operating system? You are unable to edit your document or do any other activity.
For an instant solution to unlock PDF documents without losing any data try MAC PDF Unlocker. A robust solution to unlock PDF passwords & restrictions like editing, printing, copying, and extracting pages from PDF files.
Download FREE Edition HERE
Note: Free Edition of this tool will have a ‘Demo’ watermark on Output PDF files. The purchased version will be watermark-free.
Two Types of Password Restrictions in PDF Files
1. User-level – This prevents others from copying, editing, and printing a PDF document. The password is not needed to view the PDF file.
2. Owner Level – It does need a user’s password to unlock the PDF file. Other people can edit, copy text and images, and print PDF documents. A PDF file owner can restrict others to view or copy the content of a PDF file.
Know How to Unlock a locked PDF on Mac Manually
Users can Unlock the PDF file manually by using the ‘Preview’. Follow the given instructions:
1. Right-click on the locked PDF file.
2. Select “Open with” Followed by “Preview”.

3. Type the password and press Enter.

4. The file is opened now. Click on the File menu then Export.

5. Enter the location to Save the locked PDF file,

6. Uncheck the Encrypt option before saving the PDF document.
7. Lastly, click on the Save button for the PDF file.
This is how to unlock PDF on MAC manually. But the biggest downside of this manual method is that it is highly time-consuming. Especially, if you are handling multiple PDF files then, this method is not recommended. Also, if you want to unlock restrictions like Editing, Copying, Singning,… from your PDF, you will need a different method .
Try Expert Solution to unlock PDF file on MAC
Download the FREE demo version of the software. And try the following steps to unlock the PDF file on MAC. This tool is capable to print encrypted PDF documents. (Specifications and pre-requisites required for this tool are given below)
1-Step: After installing the software, click on ‘Add file’ or ‘Add folders’ to add the PDF files.

2-Step: Enter the password if your PDF file is locked. However, if your PDF files are having restrictions like editing, printing, copying, etc then no need to enter the password.

3-Step: Click on Unlock.

Also Read: Learn the Best Way to Merge Two PDF Pages into One Page
Pre-requisites and Supported MAC OS
Following are the specifications, requirements, and compatibility for this tool:
Hard Disk Space
100 MB
RAM
4 GB of RAM
Processor
Intel or Apple Silicon (Apple M1) Processor
Supported MAC OS X: macOS 12.0 (Monterey), macOS 11.0 (Big Sur), macOS 10.15 (Catalina), MacOS 10.14 (Mojave), MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra), MacOS 10.12 (Sierra), Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan), Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite), Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), MacOS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
Pre-requisite:
- Java JDK & JRE 8 should be installed.
- System Region should be the United States and Language should be English
[CLICK] TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS TOOL: PDF Password Remover
Key Takeaways From This Blog
- How to unlock PDF on MAC manually using Preview
- How to Unlock PDF using Instant Solution
Reviews & Ratings
74% of users are quite happy and have given this tool a 5-star rating for its simple interface and 100% result in unlocking PDF passwords and restrictions on Mac.

SEE WHAT TECH EXPERTS ARE SAYING:
– User FAQ –
Is it Possible to Unlock Owner Level PDF Protection?
Yes, But for this you have to use the software explained in this post. Read this blog post for complete information.
Password Restriction Stops Me to Open PDF – What to Do?
Try the software and unlock password-protected PDF file in few simple steps.”
How to unlock PDF on MAC manually?
- Right-click on the locked PDF file.
- Select “Open with” followed by “Preview”.
- Type the password and press Enter. The file is now open.
- Click on the File menu then Save.
- Enter the location to Save the locked PDF file.
- Uncheck the Encrypt option before saving the PDF document.
- Lastly, click on the Save button to PDF file.
Can I try the free edition of his tool before buying it?
Yes, you can download free demo version of this tool on your Mac system.
Adobe Acrobat is needed to download to run this tool?
No, Adobe Acrobat is not needed to download to run this tool.
Can I run this tool on Mac OS X Catalina?
Yes, this tool is compatible with macOS 12.0 (Monterey), macOS 11.0 (Big Sur), macOS 10.15 (Catalina), MacOS 10.14 (Mojave), MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra), MacOS 10.12 (Sierra), Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan), Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite), Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), MacOS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion).