Lock a PDF with a Password

What it does

A PDF sent by email or messaging travels with no protection of its own — anyone who gets a copy, on purpose or by accident, can open it. This shortcut adds a password before the file leaves your hands. Point it at a PDF, set the Password field to Ask Each Time rather than typing a fixed one into the shortcut, and Filemorph's Password Protect PDF action locks the document so it opens only with that password. The encryption happens on the phone; the PDF is never uploaded to apply it. Asking each time also keeps the password itself out of the saved shortcut, where a screenshot or a shared shortcut file could expose it — worth doing for tax forms, contracts, or anything with a signature on it.

Build it in 2 minutes

There's no one-tap install for this one yet — add each action below in the Shortcuts app and you'll have it running in about two minutes.

The recipe

1. New shortcut → add action: Get File — pick the PDF
2. Add action: Password Protect PDF (Filemorph) — Password: tap the field → Ask Each Time
3. Add action: Save File — Ask Where to Save: On
4. Name it 'Lock a PDF with a Password' → add to Home Screen, or add to Share Sheet (accepts: PDF)

Requirements

• Filemorph, free on the App Store, installed on your iPhone or iPad.
• Requires Filemorph Pro ($0.99/week, $3.99/month or $29.99/year with a 7-day trial on monthly and annual).

FAQ

Does the PDF get uploaded to add the password?

No. Password Protect PDF encrypts the file locally; nothing is sent anywhere, and using Ask Each Time keeps the password itself out of the saved shortcut.

Is PDF password protection free?

No, Password Protect PDF is a Filemorph Pro feature ($29.99/year, 7-day trial).