Three of the five PDFs you need to merge are password-protected — bank statements from a previous employer's portal, a contract from your lawyer, a confidential memo. You have the passwords. The merge tool won't open them.
This is solvable in two steps. First unlock, then merge.
Why merging requires unlocking
Encrypted PDFs are deliberately opaque to other software. A merge tool can't read pages it can't decrypt. The fix is to remove the password from your local copy — which you can do because you have the password — then merge as normal. Flint's unlock tool handles step one.
Unlock each protected source
Open unlock PDF, drop a protected file, enter the password, download the unlocked copy. Repeat for each protected file. This isn't 'cracking' — you're using credentials you own to remove protection from your own copy. The originals (and any other copies) stay protected.
Now merge as usual
Drop all the now-unprotected PDFs into merge PDF, reorder if needed, click merge. The output is a standard, unprotected PDF containing everything.
Re-protect the result
If the merged file is also sensitive, add a password to it. Use a strong password, share it through a separate channel (text, not email), and delete the intermediate unlocked copies once you've confirmed the protected merge works.
FAQ
I don't know the password — can Flint open it?
No, and no legitimate tool can. If you've lost the password, contact whoever sent the file.
Is it safe to unlock locally?
Yes — Flint's unlock runs in your browser, the password stays on your device, and the unlocked file never leaves your machine.
Should I keep the unlocked copies?
No, delete them once the protected merge is done. Fewer unprotected copies floating around is better.
Can I merge directly without unlocking?
Not with Flint or most tools. Encrypted PDFs must be decrypted before their pages can be combined with others.
Unlock first with Flint, then merge — and re-protect the output if needed.