How to Combine Password-Protected PDFs? (Tested Ways)

A lot of times, you may want to combine the files but PDF files are protected with a password. You may wonder how to combine password-protected PDF documents. Here you will learn effective ways to combine the password protected PDF documents. If you know the password, you can combine them for sure. However, if you don't know the password, there is still a way out.

Part 1. Merge Password Protected PDF with Password

PDF documents can have two types of password protection. One is "Document opening password", which is to protect the document from opening without a password. Second is the "Permission Password", which prevents editing content, printing and copying, etc. If you know the password of the document, You can use UPDF to easily remove passwords and combine PDF files. UPDF is a powerful PDF editor with AI features. You can download UPDF here and follow the below guide to merge password protected PDF with password here.

Way 1. Merge Open Password Protected PDF Files

You can combine "Document open password" protected files if you know the password. You will need UPDF for this. To combine "Document open password" files, here are the steps you can follow along:

Step-1. Remove security password

Open the files with UPDF and when asked for the password, enter the open password. Remove the password by going to the "File" menu, selecting "Protect using password" and then clicking on "Remove security".

A dialogue box will open. Click on "Remove" and then save the PDF without password. Likewise, remove the password from the other document. You can repeat the same operations for all PDF files with password protected that you want to combine.

Step-2. Combine Password Protect PDF Files

Now, you can close UPDF and reopen it or click "+" to add a new tap. From the home interface, click on "Batch PDFs" and then Select "Combine".

Click on "Add Files" and select the PDF files that you saved after removing password. Click on "Apply" and it will prompt you to pick the location for saving the combined PDF file. Select the place to save it.

Now, you can open the merged PDF. Click on the "Bookmark" icon and you will find that the file names become bookmarks. You can click to quickly jump to the part you need.

Way 2. Merge Permission Password Protected PDF Files

There are protected PDF files that can be opened without a password but cannot be combined due to "Permission password". However, with UPDF you can also combine these kinds of files as well.

Step-1. Open the File and Remove the password

Download UPDF, Launch UPDF and open the files you want to combine. Open the "File" menu and go to "Protect using password" and click on "Remove security".

It will ask you for the password. Fill in the password and hit "Unlock", the save the PDF file. Repeat the same steps for other PDF files you want to combine.

Step-2. Combine Password Protected PDF Files.

Once the "Permission password" protected PDF files have been unlocked, PDF files are ready to combine. Briefly, go to "Batch process" > "Combine", click on "Add Files", select the PDF files you want to combine and hit "Apply". Specify the folder where you would like to save the combined PDF file.

UPDF has this unique ability to remove passwords from PDF and merge PDF files. You don't have to find two different software to do these separate jobs. UPDF is such a user-friendly and comprehensive PDF editor and reader, that offers much more than other competitors in the market and at a lower price price. Most importantly, UPDF has an integrated AI feature that can be used to translate, summarize, explain the contents of the PDF and write the content. No wonder it has drawn attention by the users and the big media Tech Advisor has recently reviewed the app which you can read here. Download your own copy of UPDF by clicking the link below

Part 2. Combine Password Protected PDF Without Password

Sometimes, you don't know the password or have forgotten it, however, you want to open and combine the PDF files. Depending on the type of password, open or permission, 2 different ways can be used to combine the files.

Way 1. Merge Open Protected PDF Files Without Passwords Via PDF Password Genius and UPDF

In instances where you forgot the password or don't have it, you cannot open the PDF file let alone merge them. However, you can to recover the password and then combine the files. Here are the steps.

Step-1. Recover the password using Password Genius

Recover the password using PDF Password Genius. Download the PDF Password Genius and upload your password-protected PDF file. Hit the "Start" button. In a few minutes, Password Genius will find the password.

Step-2. Remove Password

Launch UPDF and Open your password-protected file by going to the "File" menu and selecting "Open". When asked for the password, use the one recovered using PDF Password Genius. Once the file has opened, remove the password by using this path: File > Protect using password > Remove security. You will be again asked for the password. Use the one just recovered, then save the file. Repeat the same steps for all the documents you want to combine.

Step-3. Combine the PDF files

When the passwords are removed from all the PDF files, you are ready to combine the PDF files. From UPDF home interface, select Batch process > Combine > Add files (choose the files you want to combine) > Apply > Save (Choose the folder you want to save the merged PDF files).

UPDF is such a handy tool to combine files and also do all other kinds of editing. You can download UPDF using the link below.

Way 2. Merge Permission Protected PDF Files Without Password Via iLovePDF and UPDF

There are online free tools like "iLOVEPDF" available to remove the "Permission password" and unlock the PDF files, provided you are connected to the internet. You can use these tools online and then merge the files. Here are the steps to do that:

Step-1. Upload life to iLOVEPDF and remove the password

Open the iLOVEPDF webpage by clicking this link. Upload your permission password-protected PDF file to the iLOVEPDF webpage.

Then click on "Unlock PDF".

Click on "Download unlocked PDFs" to download your unlocked file.

Repeat the same step with all the other PDF files you want to unlock. Once you have removed the passwords and downloaded the PDF files, you are ready to merge files.

Step-2. Merge Files using UPDF

You can use UPDF to combine the PDF files. Open UPDF, select the "Batch process" option, "Combine" and the "Add Files". Choose the PDF files you want to combine and then click on "Apply". You will be asked to pick the destination folder for saving the merged file.

UPDF makes life very easy when comes to merging password protected PDF files let alone any kind of editing of PDF documents. Download UPDF and enjoy all the tools. And you can watch the below video or read this review article to learn more about UPDF. If you like UPDF, then, you can upgrade to pro version.

Conclusion

Well if you thought it was difficult to combine password-protected PDF, now you have this guide to show you how to do it depending on what kind of protection the PDF file has and if you know the password or not. In either case, you will need a PDF editor to combine the files. UPDF is the cheapest and the best option with so many integrated features. You can download UPDF now by clicking the link below.