How to Password Protect a PDF in Preview?

Preview is a useful app that comes as a built-in on Mac. With Preview, you can do various things with PDFs, such as viewing, editing, and more. One handy feature it offers is the ability to password-protect PDF, helping you to prevent unauthorized access.

In this guide, learn how to password-protect a PDF using Preview. Additionally, we'll discuss an alternative tool UPDF, the best option for password-protecting PDFs. 

Part 1. How to Encrypt a PDF in Preview?

With encryption, you can now protect your PDFs with an added layer of security. This makes accessing your sensitive information much more difficult for others. If you have a Mac and want to encrypt PDF with Preview, use this app on your Mac without any add-ons. Follow the steps below to keep your PDFs safe and private:

Step 1: Open the PDF document in Preview app and access the “File” tab from the top left corner. Then, tap on “Export” from the drop-down menu and click on the “Permissions” button. 

Step 2: Afterward, create a strong password for your document and customize the settings for the document permissions. After securing the document, press the “Apply” button and save it on your MacBook.

Part 2. How to Password Protect a PDF With Preview Alternative?

When protecting your PDFs with a password, using the Preview app on Mac is a good choice. But if you want more editing options and flexibility, there's a productive alternative to password-protect PDF on Mac called UPDF. With this tool, you can add two types of passwords to your PDFs. One is the open password to prevent others from opening the PDF.

However, the other option is the permission password. This restricts others from printing or copying your PDF. Additionally, UPDF gives you the option of removing the passwords if necessary. You can also edit your PDFs in many ways, add watermarks for personalization, and even create professional slideshows. So, to explore UPDF more, check the steps below and see how easy it is to use this tool:

Before you start, you have to download the software via the below button.

Step 1: Choose the Required Password Option

Open the PDF document containing the sensitive information using the “Open File” option. Afterward, locate and click on “Protect Using Password” from the tools available on the right side. Choose the required option between “Document Open” and “Permissions” from the expanded menu.

Step 2: Customize the Selected Password Feature Options

Then, you will have to enter the password you want to set for the document and confirm it by retyping it. In case you are using the “Document Option,” then you customize the Encryption Level. On the other hand, for permissions, you can enable and disable the feature that users can perform on the document with or without the password.

Part 3. How Do I Know If a PDF is Password Protected Using Preview?

There is no way to determine whether a PDF is password-protected using Preview or any other PDF app. The reason behind this is that when you open the PDF file, it doesn’t show that it is protected by Preview. All the PDF tools, including Preview, use the same method to password-protect the document. However, UPDF contains more innovative algorithms to password-protect confidential documents.

Part 4. How to Remove a Password from a PDF using Preview?

In case you have previously password-protected a PDF using Preview and now want to remove it, there is no need to stress out. Head to the steps below and learn to remove password protect PDF Mac Preview to regain easy access to your files:

Step 1: Locate the password protect PDF on your MacBook and open it using Preview. Input the document's password and click on the “File” tab. Then, select the “Print” option, or you can also use the “Command + P” shortcut to access the Print settings.

Step 2: Afterward, from the bottom, click on the “PDF” drop-down menu and choose the “Save as PDF” option. This will open a dialog box in front of you, and you choose the location and other settings for the document. To save the document without any password, press the “Save” button.

Conclusion

So putting this to an end, you have learned how to password-protect PDF with Preview on your Mac. Adding a password is a great way to keep your sensitive documents safe. Moreover, knowing that only those with the password can open and view the PDF, you can have peace of mind. However, if you need more advanced PDF editing capabilities and additional features, consider using UPDF.

Not only can UPDF help you with password protection, but it also comes with built-in AI features that can enhance your PDF management. You can use AI to summarize lengthy documents, explain complex terms, and even utilize the write feature before password-protecting your PDFs. Interested in UPDF? Download it from the below button to give it a try.