Encrypt a PDF
Before you send it by email: set a password and the file is encrypted with AES-256. Without the password, the content cannot be read.
Drop your file here or choose one
One PDF file · up to 100 MB
How it works
- 01Drop the PDF in the box.
- 02Enter a password twice; long and hard to guess is best.
- 03Download the encrypted file and share the password another way. The files are deleted after 60 minutes, at once with “Delete now”.
Frequently asked questions
What does AES-256 mean?+
An encryption method that PDF programs such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview on the Mac and the common browsers understand. It is the strongest the PDF standard provides. How well the file is protected depends mostly on the password.
Can the recipient open the file without extra software?+
Yes. Every current PDF program asks for the password when opening the file. Nobody needs special software.
What is the best way to send the password?+
Not in the same email as the file. Better by phone, text message or a messaging app, so an intercepted attachment is useless on its own.
What if I forget the password?+
Then we cannot open the file either: the password is used for this one operation only and never stored. Keep the unencrypted original somewhere safe.
Why does this run on a server?+
The encryption is done by a proven tool on our servers in the EU. The file is deleted after 60 minutes at the latest, at once with “Delete now”.
What does it cost?+
One operation from your free monthly allowance, with or without an account; the exact numbers are on the pricing page. A failed operation costs nothing.
Related tools
More with this tool
Why Docuvoza
No account, no subscription, no document storage. Most tools run on your device; the rest in the EU, deleted after 60 minutes. And when someone has to sign: one click to Signovoza, with the same account and credits.
When encryption makes sense
An email can sit in several places on its way: with your provider, with the recipient's provider, in a forward. If the attachment holds a payslip, health information or bank statements, a password is worth it. An encrypted PDF can only be opened by someone who knows the password, wherever the file ends up.
Password and permissions
The password to open encrypts all the content. You can also decide whether the file may be printed, copied or changed. PDF programs respect these permissions, but they protect less than the password to open.
A good password
Long beats complicated: four random words are harder to guess than a short word with special characters. Do not reuse a password you use elsewhere, and do not put it in the subject line.
Decrypting again
Anyone who knows the password can turn it back into an ordinary file with “Unlock PDF”, for example to edit or sign it.