4 Best Ways on How to Combine Password Protected PDF Files

Written By Kanishka Vohra

Approved By Anuraag Singh

Modified On November 24th, 2025

Reading Time 10 Minutes Reading

Today, PDFs are among the widely used document formats. Professionals depend on storing, sharing, or archiving information for academic to business purposes. It certainly increases the usability of PDF documents. To secure the confidential data, PDF password protection plays a vital role. Despite the benefits, this can add restrictions when merging the protected document. Many of you might look for ways how to combine password protected PDF files for better accessibility and management. Now, follow this guide to discover the free and advanced methods to combine mutiple PDF into one after removing the protection.

Why Can’t Combine Secured PDF Files?

Merging the chunks of PDF files is typically common among professionals or even students. To streamline PDF management, documents are often combined to ensure easy accessibility. Here, PDF security brings challenges when merging the document.

Moreover, dealing with PDF document protection is a tedious task, it limits the actions like editing, content copying, combining, and managing the PDF document. Below are the common reasons why you can’t combine password protected PDF:

Modes of PDF Protection: PDFs are mainly secured with password and owner restrictions. The purpose of these protections is to control document accessibility. If the PDF is protected with permissions or passwords, it prevents viewers from merging the document into a single file. Hence, it is necessary to remove PDF restrictions.
PDF Encryption Security: Many of you might fail when combining secured PDF files. It happens if a document is encrypted with password or advanced level encryption security. Some of the latest encryption algorithms include AES-128 and AES-256, making the PDF inaccessible for any actions.
User Password Security: Many users are unable to merge secured PDFs due to user password protection. Moreover, these documents are mainly protected with a user or open PDF password. This strong password prevents users from combining the files. Hence, it is necessary to unsecure PDF files to merge them without hassle, data loss, or formatting.
Owner Level Restrictions: Despite the PDF password or encryption, some PDFs contain owner restrictions such as editing, content copying, printing, and merging. It blocks viewers from performing any action on the document. To combine locked PDFs, users need to unprotect the document.

Overall, these are the common reasons behind the failure to merge secured PDF documents. The modes of PDF protection enable restrictions when combining the protected PDFs. To access the document, you first need to disable the unwanted protection. Now, if you’re seeking how to merge secured PDF files, below are the methods.

Can I Combine Protected PDF Files?

If you’re wondering, “can I combine password protected PDF files?” Fortunately, Yes! You can effortlessly merge secured PDF files into a single file. But you must have the correct password to access the document. With the right method or tool, users can unsecure the PDF files and then combine them.

Moreover, if you don’t have a password, merging the protected PDFs becomes difficult. Hence, it requires the exact password to access the PDF files for merging. Now, move down to discover the best solutions for unprotecting the files.

Quick Guide to Combine Password Protected PDF Securely

Install and run the SysTools PDF Unlock Tool.
Tab Add Files option to upload the protected files.
If secured with password > enter the correct passkey.
Move down > click on Save > Change button to find the location.
After this, select the Unlock icon to remove document security.
Lastly, use the PDF Merge Tool to combine files.

Download Now Purchase Now

How to Combine Password Protected PDF Files – 4 Simple Methods

In the following section, we will share the best techniques, including free online and advanced tools for merging the secured documents. To merge password protected PDF, it is essential to remove unwanted passwords or restrictions. Here are the ways how to combine PDF files that are password protected:

1. Online PDF Tools to Remove Protection
2. Adobe Acrobat Pro Software to Combine Secured PDFs
3. SysTools PDF Tool – The Expert Solution
4. Combine Protected PDF Without Password – Professional Solution

Now, let’s understand these methods in detail.

How to Merge Password Protected PDF Free – Try Online Tools

If you’re seeking how to combine protected PDF files, try free online PDF tools. These are free, handy, and flexible for all users. Using online websites, users can effortlessly unsecure the PDF files and use other merging tools to combine multiple files. Moreover, the free platforms support different types of security and unprotect them instantly. Additionally, it won’t require software installation or user signups. Hence, you can just drop the PDF files and disable the merging security. Now, follow the steps to combine locked PDF files:

Go to the free online platforms and open them.
Add the PDF document > tab Choose Files.
Enter the password if required > press Unlock.
Now, combine the necessary documents effortlessly.

Online tools are among the convenient ways to remove the protection. These platforms are free and functional for everyone. With minimal clicks, users can unprotect and combine multiple files in batch mode. So, choose the online free tool for combining the secured PDFs.

Please Note: To unprotect PDFs, online tools can be a risky choice. Moreover, these platforms keep your confidential data for a certain period. It offers bad consequences, such as data leakage and exposure. Additionally, it can impact the original formatting of PDF documents. So, don’t rely on online platforms for removing security.

How to Combine Password Protected PDF Files – Adobe Acrobat Tool

To merge secured PDF files, Adobe Acrobat Pro software is the best and most secure way to delete document protection. This powerful tool is designed for business or professional needs. Using this pro software, you can disable password or owner restrictions without tampering the originality. Additionally, it allows you to manage or combine your documents after removing the protection.

Compared to online platforms, this software is an advanced yet fast way to unsecure and merge PDFs with ease. Here are the steps on how to combine a protected PDF using Adobe Acrobat Software:

To combine secured files > open Acrobat Tool.
Click “File” and go to the Open menu to add PDFs.
Move to Document Properties > Security tab.
Under the Security section > use No Security.
Now, add the password > click the OK button.
After unprotecting the PDFs, use the Acrobat PDF Editor software.
After this, pick the File button and go to Create > tab Combine.
Now, save multiple PDFs into a single document.

Adobe Acrobat is the top-notch software for managing protected PDF documents. This is useful for removing protection and combining multiple documents without manual labor. Despite the advantages, take a look over its limitations.

Limitations of the Acrobat Tool: Remember that the plans of the Adobe Acrobat tool aren’t free. Instead, it is based on a costly subscription. Many professionals or small businesses can’t afford the plans due to the high fee structure. So, move down to discover the best way to combine the secured PDF documents.

How to Merge Secured PDFs – Using SysTools PDF Software

To merge password protected PDF files, download the SysTools Pro Utility. The tool is rich in features and available for both Windows and macOS. Using these advanced solutions, users can disable the merging security. In other words, the tool can effortlessly remove all types of protections, including passwords and owner permissions. This way, users can access unprotected PDF files with confidence, without compromising the original layout or quality.

After unsecuring the PDF files, users can use another tool that allows them to combine multiple documents into one. Both are 100% secure and ensure file integrity during the process. After removing the passkey, you can use other combining tools to instantly combine the secured PDF. Now, let’s move to discover the step-by-step methods for combining the protected document on Windows or Mac OS.

Steps to Combine Protected PDFs Instantly

Download the SysTools automated utility on your PC.
Pick the Add Files option for uploading the protected PDFs.
After adding files, enter the correct password for the document.
Click on Save button and then, tab Change to find the location.
Now, press the Unlock key to disable the protection.
Lastly, use the SysTools combining solution to merge secured files.

How to Combine Protected PDF Files Without Password – SysTools PDF Tool

If you’re searching for how to merge password protected PDF files without password, try SysTools PDF Password Recovery. It is among the most powerful and feature-rich software for accessing PDF without a user password. There are many instances where you forgot PDF password. Here, combining the chunks of PDF files becomes impossible. Using this advanced tool, users can apply recovery techniques, such as brute force and mask attacks, to securely obtain the password.

Whether it is a partially known or completely unknown password, this robust tool is capable of handling all. Moreover, if you remember the charset, then users can manually enable the checkboxes. This way, you can find out the exact password and then remove the security for merging them. Now, follow the instructions to combine protected PDF files without password using SysTools Pro Utility:

Free Download Purchase Now

Firstly, launch the SysTools professional-grade tool on your machine.
Use the Browse button to upload the necessary PDF files.
Under the Recovery Mode > tab, Unknown Password (Brute Force).
Provide the Password Length and select ‘Recover‘ to access the password.
After getting the credentials, use the other tools to remove protection and merge the files.

This is an advanced method for combining protected PDFs without a password. Moreover, the tool is highly functional and useful for unsecuring the PDF files without a passkey. Additionally, the software is feature-rich and provides the exact password without tampering with the document properties.

FAQs on Combine Secured PDF Documents

Q. Can you combine protected PDFs?
Yes, you can merge secured documents using the SysTools mentioned software. This robust software allows you to disable unwanted restrictions, making it easier to access or combine the chunks of files. Once removing the security, you can use the merger software to merge protected files.

Q. How to unprotect and merge PDF files?
To unprotect and merge documents, various online and advanced tools are available. Since online tools cause data leakage. Therefore, choose SysTools designed powerful software solution, one of the secure and fast ways for unprotecting PDFs in batch mode.

Q. How to combine PDF files that are password protected online?
If you’re looking for how to combine secured PDF files online, use the free online websites. Using the online platforms, users can effortlessly disable the security and use other combining tools to merge the secured files. However, there are various limitations, especially the risk of data compromise. It is not recommended to use an online tool when a document contains confidential data.

Concluding Words

In the above guide, we have listed 4 ways how to combine password protected PDF files. Using these methods, you can delete the useless password security from the PDF document. Compared to all, SysTool’s mentioned tools are the ultimate solution. After removing the limited access, you can use merging software to combine the secured files.