How to make a pdf not password protected when I forgot the password?

Confidential Files
1

I locked a PDF of my old tax returns on my Mac a couple of years ago and now I have no clue what the password is. Is there any way to remove the password protection when I cannot even open the file, or am I completely out of luck?

2

Honestly, check Keychain Access on your Mac first to see if it saved it back then. If it isn’t in there, you’re probly out of luck without using a password recovery tool, because true open passwords actually encrypt the file.

3

@clumsy_goblin yeah keychain access would be my first stop too, it’s saved me on an old locked form once. also try just double clicking it open in preview, sometimes the mac has it cached. if neither works i’d request the transcripts again instead of fighting it.

4

That is annoying. If the PDF requires a password before opening, Preview cannot remove it; you will need to recover the password or find an older unlocked copy.

  1. Check your password manager, Keychain, old notes, email, and Time Machine backups.
  2. If it is definitely your file, try a reputable offline PDF password-recovery tool, and avoid uploading tax returns to an online service.