Removing a password from a Word document depends on whether you set it yourself

If you created the password, you can remove it by opening the document, going to File > Info > Protect Document, and selecting "Encrypt with Password" to clear the field. If you forgot the password, Word has no built-in recovery method — you will need to use a third-party tool or contact whoever set the protection.

The steps differ slightly between Windows and Mac, and between recent versions of Word (2016 and later) and older ones. The method also depends on what kind of protection is in place: a password to open the file, a password to edit it, or restrictions on specific parts of the document.

Key Takeaways

  • If you know the password, you can remove it through File > Info > Protect Document on Windows, or File > Properties on Mac.
  • If you forgot your own password, Word does not have a recovery feature — you will need a third-party tool or to contact Microsoft support.
  • Removing protection you did not set requires either the password or specialized software, and may violate copyright or access agreements.
  • Some documents have edit restrictions rather than password protection, which you can remove through File > Info > Restrict Editing.

Removing password protection when you know the password (Windows)

Open the Word document and enter the password when prompted. Once the document is open, click File in the top left corner, then select Info from the left sidebar.

Look for a button or section labeled "Protect Document" — it may say "Encrypt with Password" or show a lock icon. Click it and a dialog box will appear with a password field. Leave the field blank and click OK. Word will remove the password protection from the document.

Save the document after removing the protection. The next time you open it, you will not be asked for a password.

Removing password protection on Mac

Open the document and enter the password. Click File in the menu bar at the top, then select Properties (not Info — Mac uses different naming).

Find the Security tab and look for "Password to open" or "Password to modify". Click the button to change or remove the password, leave the field blank, and click OK. Save the document when you are done.

If you are using Word 2016 for Mac or earlier, the path may be File > Preferences > Security instead. The steps are the same — find the password field and clear it.

Removing edit restrictions without a password

Some documents are protected not with a password but with restrictions that prevent editing. These show up as "This document is protected" messages when you try to make changes. You can remove these restrictions without a password on Windows.

Go to File > Info > Protect Document and look for "Restrict Editing" or "Restrict Permissions". Click it and select "Stop Protection". The document will become fully editable. This only works if no password was set on the restrictions — if one was, you will need the password to proceed.

What to do if you forgot your own password

Word does not have a built-in password recovery feature. If you set a password and forgot it, you have three options: contact Microsoft support (though they cannot recover lost passwords), use a third-party Word password removal tool, or recreate the document from a backup.

Third-party tools like PassFab for Word or Stellar Repair for Word can remove passwords, though they cost money and require you to download software from outside Microsoft. These tools work by attempting to crack or bypass the encryption, which can take anywhere from seconds to hours depending on password complexity.

Before using a third-party tool, check whether you have an older version of the document saved without a password, or whether your cloud storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox) has a version history you can restore from.

Removing protection from documents you did not create

If someone else protected the document and you do not have the password, removing that protection without permission may violate copyright law or the terms of your agreement with that person or organization. Before attempting to remove protection, contact the document owner and ask them to provide an unprotected version or to share the password.

If you have a legitimate reason to access the document (you own it, you inherited it, or you have written permission), third-party removal tools are available, but they work only on documents protected with older encryption methods. Modern Word documents use stronger encryption that is much harder to bypass.

Understanding the difference between password types

Word documents can have two different kinds of password protection. A password to open prevents anyone from viewing the document without entering the correct password first. A password to modify lets people view the document but prevents them from making changes without the password.

You remove both types the same way — through File > Info > Protect Document — but they behave differently. A password to modify can sometimes be bypassed by saving the document as a different file format (like .rtf or .txt), though this may strip formatting. A password to open cannot be bypassed this way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove a password if I only remember part of it?

Word itself cannot help you recover a partial password. Third-party tools can attempt to crack passwords by trying combinations, but this only works if the password is short or simple. The longer and more complex the password, the longer the cracking process takes — it could take hours or days for a strong password.

Will removing password protection damage the document?

No. Removing a password does not affect the document's content, formatting, or file integrity. The document will open and function exactly as it did before, just without the password requirement.

What if the document is protected but I was never asked for a password?

This usually means the document has edit restrictions rather than password protection. Go to File > Info > Restrict Editing and select "Stop Protection". If a password was set on the restrictions, you will be asked for it at that point.

Can I remove protection from a Word document on my phone or tablet?

Word for mobile devices does not have built-in password removal tools. You will need to use a computer running the full version of Word, or upload the document to OneDrive and access it through the web version of Word, which has the same protection-removal features as the desktop version.