Password-protect a PDF on Mac
To password-protect a PDF on a Mac, double-tap the right Option key and type “lock this pdf with password 1234”. A new locked PDF; opening it asks for the password. History shows the password as dots only.
How to do it
- Select the files in Finder, pick them with @ in the bar, or name them in plain words ("my last pdf").
- Double-tap the right Option key to open the bar.
- Type “lock this pdf with password 1234”.
- Press Return. The new file appears next to the original.
Type
- lock this pdf with password 1234
- put a password on it
What you get
A new locked PDF; opening it asks for the password. History shows the password as dots only.
The original is never changed or overwritten. Undo trashes what the job made.
Type the password in your sentence, or in the hidden field Whizra shows.
The free Mac way
Preview → Export → Encrypt.
Limits
- Encryption is RC4-128: what macOS's PDF tools offer. For stronger protection, zip it with a password (AES-256).
Questions
Is my file uploaded?
No. Whizra does the job on your Mac, and your files never leave it. The only thing the app sends is your license key check.
Does it change the original?
No. The original is never changed or overwritten, and Undo takes the job back.
What can't it do?
Encryption is RC4-128: what macOS's PDF tools offer. For stronger protection, zip it with a password (AES-256).
Is there a free way on a Mac?
Preview → Export → Encrypt.