How to Change PDF Permissions and Modify PDF Settings?

Overview: There are times in which advanced security features like applying permissions on a PDF file backfire. Moreover, it prevents ‌users from accessing and editing a PDF so they must know how to change PDF permissions to resume their work. Some user queries that often arise in this sort of situation are:

I received a PDF from my boss, it is a quarterly report that requires some last-minute changes. However, I don’t have adequate permission to edit it. Is there a way out?

My profession is teaching and I recently prepared a PDF for the semester exams. Now that the exams are over I want the share the same PDF as a sample paper but I forgot the password. Can I do something about it?

I am a Mac user and have always been one. Nevertheless, I require a method to modify or outright remove the permissions from some old PDF files. Are there any options that will work on my Apple device?

We have five different techniques that answer the above queries. So let’s begin with the most straightforward approach. But, before that know the reasons behind it to do so.

Why Change PDF Permissions & Settings?

Here, in this part you will know the reasons why we need to change PDF security settings.

• It is required when your editing features is disabled on some of your PDFs. so, that is why they require some level of modification.
• Restricted PDFs may also prevent printing, which could pose a problem while sharing documents.
• Security features may be restricting you from extracting text or images from a PDF.
• You may want to restrict your PDF to prevent unauthorized users from editing it or copying content from it.
• Also, there might be some unwanted restrictions on a PDF set earlier that you are not aware of. So, it has to be removed for unhindered access.

#1. How to Change PDF Security Settings Professionally

The professional PDF Permission Removing Tool covers all technicalities and modifies any security setting present on a PDF. With a version for both Windows and Mac, any user can make changes to their PDF file with ease. Moreover, it can remove passwords, permissions, and other settings in multiple PDF files simultaneously.

Download Now Purchase Now

For Mac Users:

Download Now Purchase Now

Follow the quick steps and change PDF permissions as per your requirements.

Step 1. Download and Open the tool for removing PDF permissions on your machine.

Step 2. On the right side of the dashboard click on the Add Files or Add Folder button.

Step 3. Once the file is visible choose either ‌Save the file or Print a copy directly.

Step 4. Change the location of the saved file if needed then press the Unlock button.

Step 5. The tool will save the PDF at the location & send an alert when the task is complete.

#2. How to Change PDF Permissions Using Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is a powerful tool made by the originator of the PDF file itself. It contains a sophisticated set of options to fulfill any PDF-related workload. So obviously you can also remove permissions with it.

However, if you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Pro on your machine purchasing it for a mundane task might be overkill. Not to mention the subscription is not cheap. Nevertheless, if you already have access to it you can use the steps given below to change permissions in the PDF file.

• Launch Adobe Acrobat, go to File, and press open to browse and select the PDF of your Choice.
• Press the tab named Properties and visit the Security Section
• Press the Change Settings button present within the security methods list.
• Enter the permission password in the given space and press OK.
• Now you are free to make any changes within the Security Settings window.
• To reset every permission, deactivate both Restrict editing and printing of the document.
• Within the Changes allowed list allow the following permissions:
  • To only allow the filing or signing of forms and restrict the creation of new form fields select the option of filling and signing existing signature fields.
  • To allow changes within the very structure of the PDF such as insertion, deletion, and rotation, select the option None.
  • To allow the copying of data mark the box next to “Enable copying of text, images and other content” option.
• Finally press the OK button and make the changes permanent.

Next, we have an alternative way to deal with the situation.

#3. Using a Browser to Change PDF Permissions & Modify Settings

Most browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Firefox have the ability to view PDF files. So you can use them to remove permissions as well. The steps go something like this.

Step 1. Open the PDF in any browser by dragging and dropping the file into the new tab of the browser.

Step 2. Then right-click anywhere in the PDF which will open the context menu. From there select the Save As option.

Step 3. Within the Save As dialog box, type in the location where you want to save the permission-free PDF and click on Save.

Limitations of using this method:

• Attachments and other files may get corrupted.
• Large PDF files may slow down or crash the browser.
• Need to do this for each PDF individually.

#4. Using Google Drive to Change PDF Permissions

When all you want is to delete simple restrictions, Google Drive really comes forward.

1. Firstly, upload the necessary restricted PDF file into your Google Drive account.
2. After that, find your downloaded PDF file and open it with Google Docs by right-clicking on it, and selecting Open with > Google Docs.
3. Edit all required elements and save it as a PDF (File > Download > PDF).

Limitations: This technique may prove useless with secure PDFs and other PDFs that employ complex formatting.

#5. Change PDF Permissions Through Online PDF Unlockers

There are many online options available by which you can edit the settings of PDF files. The most popular include Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF2Go.

Next, in order to unlock PDF permissions and modify settings, follow the given steps:

1. Go to any one of the PDF unlock sites mentioned above by searching on the web.
2. Just upload the PDF which you want to do.
3. It will let you unlock the PDF and wait for it to finish.
4. At last, download your unlocked PDF.

Limitations: Do not upload any sensitive document, as it is always a risk on online tools.

Also Read: Discover the steps to combine multiple PDF files into one PDF.

Conclusion

Now that we have all the answers for how to change PDF permissions and modify settings, so one thing is clear. Moving on, the methods such as Acrobat and browser-based, Google Drive, online tools come with some or the other drawbacks. So the only smart choice is to use the professional utility and make their portable file format permission-free.