# Add Password — Password-protect a PDF on Mac

Add a password needed to open the PDF. Part of OneMacTools, 151 private tools in one native Mac app (macOS 26 or later); category: PDF. Runs on your Mac; nothing is uploaded.

Encrypt a PDF so it can only be opened with a password. The password is never stored by OneMacTools.

Page: https://www.onemactools.com/tools/password-protect-pdf · Download: https://www.onemactools.com/download · Pricing: https://www.onemactools.com/pricing

## How to use it
1. **Add the PDF.** Drop one or more PDFs onto Add Password.
2. **Type the password twice.** Enter it in Password and again in Confirm, so a typo doesn't lock you out.
3. **Click Protect.** An encrypted copy ending in “protected” is saved in a dated folder in Downloads › OneMacTools.
4. **Share the password separately.** Send the file one way and tell the recipient the password another way, such as by phone or a different message.

## Options
- **Password:** The password needed to open the protected copy. It's used once and never stored, so it isn't filled in next time.
- **Confirm:** Type the same password again. If the two don't match, OneMacTools stops and tells you, so you don't create a file you can't open.

## Tips
- Write the password down or save it in your password manager before you send the file. Without it, nobody can open the copy, including you.
- Use a long passphrase of several unrelated words. It's easier to read out over the phone than a jumble of symbols.
- Keep your unprotected original somewhere safe, so you can still open the document if the password is lost.
- Do any other editing first: merging, signing and watermarking all need an unlocked PDF.
- If you drop several PDFs, they all get the same password.

## Questions
**How do I put a password on a PDF on a Mac?**
Drop the PDF onto Add Password, type the password twice and click Protect. The copy can only be opened with that password.

**Does OneMacTools keep my password?**
No. It's used once to encrypt the file and never stored, not even as a remembered setting.

**What if I forget the password?**
OneMacTools can't recover it. Keep the unprotected original, or store the password somewhere safe before you send the file.

**Will the PDF open on Windows and phones?**
Yes. It's a standard password-protected PDF, so any PDF app asks for the password and then opens it.

**Can I protect several PDFs at once?**
Yes. Drop them all and they're each saved with the same password.

**How do I take the password off again?**
Use Remove Password with the password you set. It saves an unlocked copy.