How to password protect a PDF

Some PDFs are private and confidential – think of financial statements or company deals. You don’t want anyone to see them without your permission. That’s when you need to password protect such PDFs, so only a selected few who know the password can see the document’s contents.

You can easily set a password on a PDF file with PDF Expert, the go-to PDF app for Mac, trusted by millions of people and awarded by Apple. 

Get PDF Expert for free, and let’s dive in!

When it is better to password-protect a PDF

Handling sensitive or confidential information? Want to protect your PDF from unauthorized access? You need to password-protect your file. Here are some cases where password protection is a must:

• Financial documents (bank statements, tax returns)
• Legal documents (contracts, NDAs)
• Medical records (patient history, insurance info)
• Business confidential information (reports, employee records)
• Personal documents (passports, ID cards, social security info)
• Academic work (thesis, unpublished data)

How to password protect a PDF on Mac:

1. Download PDF Expert for free.
2. Open the file you wish to lock with a password.
3. Click File at the top left of the screen.
4. Select Set Password.
5. Enter and verify your password. Make sure you pick a strong one!
6. Click Set to apply the changes.

Now, nobody can open your PDF file without a password. Even the document preview is protected from prying eyes!

How to remove a password from a PDF file on Mac

You can always update your password or remove it completely to unlock your PDF:

1. Open your document and click File at the top left of the screen.
2. Select Change Password.
3. If you want to update a password, enter the new one and click Change.
4. If you don’t need a password, click Remove Password to unlock your document.

PDF Expert works as a great PDF password remover on Mac when you're the owner of the file. It's absolutely secure and reliable and won't let any outsiders remove passwords in your PDF for malicious intent.

Finally, here are the tips for creating a strong password:

• Include numbers, capital letters, and symbols.
• Use a minimum of 12 characters.
• Don't use dictionary words and their obvious substitutions; e.g. h0use is not cool.
• Avoid putting biographical details into your password.
• Use a password manager, e.g. 1Password.

How to redact a PDF

The Redact tool in PDF Expert helps permanently remove sensitive information from your document, maintaining privacy and confidentiality, especially when sharing documents publicly. Here’s how to redact a PDF in PDF Expert:

1. Launch PDF Expert on your Mac.
2. Open your PDF and click Edit on the toolbar. Then select Redact.
3. Select your redact tool: click Erase to remove sensitive content by coloring the text white, or choose Blackout to remove sensitive content by coloring the text black.
4. Once you’ve chosen the tool, select the text you want to redact, and PDF Expert will automatically hide it. Additionally, you can use the Find and Redact… tool to search through your lengthy PDF and redact the same information throughout the whole document. 

How to lock a PDF form from editing

In addition to redacting and password-protecting your file, you can lock a PDF from unauthorized editing by using the Save as Flattened feature. Flattening protects your document from any further edits by locking form fields and signatures. Here’s how you can lock a PDF using the flatten feature in PDF Expert:

1. Open your PDF in PDF Expert.
2. Click on the File menu at the top left of the screen.
3. Select the Save as Flattened… option.
4. Choose a location to save your flattened PDF and click Save.

Great! Now you know how to password protect PDF files with a strong and reliable password. And if you accidentally delete your file, you can also recover a PDF with the right tools.

Download PDF Expert today!