How to Save Password Protected PDF Attachments from Gmail to Google Drive

How to Save Password-Protected PDF Attachments from Gmail to Google Drive (Complete Guide)

If you receive a password-protected PDF in Gmail, you might want to save it to Google Drive. However, Google Drive cannot preview or process password-protected PDFs directly. To save and access the file properly, follow these detailed steps.

📌 Step 1: Download the Password-Protected PDF from Gmail

✅ Using a Computer (Windows/Mac/Linux)

Open Gmail in your web browser.
Locate the email with the password-protected PDF attachment.
Click on the attachment to preview it.
Gmail will show an error:
"This document is encrypted and can't be previewed. Please download it to view."
Click the Download button (⬇️) to save it to your computer.

📌 Step 2: Remove Password from the PDF (Unlock the File)

Since Google Drive cannot process password-protected PDFs, you need to remove the password first.

✅ Method 1: Using Google Chrome (No Software Required)

Open the PDF in Google Chrome:
- Drag and drop the PDF into a new tab in Chrome.
- Or right-click the file → Open with > Google Chrome.
Enter the password when prompted.
Print the file by pressing Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac).
In the Destination section, select "Save as PDF".
Click Save and choose a location.
The new PDF will be password-free.

✅ Method 2: Using Adobe Acrobat (Official Way)

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Enter the password to unlock it.
Click File > Properties > Security.
Under Security Method, select No Security.
Click OK and save the new unlocked PDF.

✅ Method 3: Using Online Tools (For Quick Access)

Several trusted online tools can remove passwords:

Smallpdf
iLovePDF
(⚠️ Ensure the document doesn’t contain sensitive data before using online tools.)

📌 Step 3: Upload the Unlocked PDF to Google Drive

✅ Using Google Drive Website

Open Google Drive (drive.google.com).
Click the "+" (New) button → Select "File Upload".
Choose the unlocked PDF file from Step 2.
The file will now be uploaded without a password.

✅ Using Google Drive App (Android/iPhone)

Open the Google Drive app.
Tap the "+" (plus icon) → Upload.
Select the unlocked PDF from your phone.
The file will be saved to your Google Drive account.

📌 Step 4: Share or Open the PDF in Google Drive

Now that the password is removed, you can:

Preview the PDF directly in Google Drive.
Share the document with others.
Convert the PDF to a Google Doc.

🚀 Automating the Process Using Google Apps Script

If you frequently receive password-protected PDFs in Gmail, you can use Google Apps Script to automatically save them to Drive. However, you still need to manually unlock them.

✅ Step 1: Open Google Apps Script

Go to Google Drive (script.google.com).
Click New Project.

✅ Step 2: Paste This Script

javascript
function savePDFAttachments() {
  var threads = GmailApp.search("has:attachment filename:pdf");
  var folder = DriveApp.getFolderById("YOUR_FOLDER_ID"); // Replace with your Google Drive Folder ID

  threads.forEach(thread => {
    var messages = thread.getMessages();
    messages.forEach(message => {
      var attachments = message.getAttachments();
      attachments.forEach(attachment => {
        if (attachment.getContentType() === "application/pdf") {
          folder.createFile(attachment);
        }
      });
    });
  });

  Logger.log("PDFs saved to Drive.");
}

✅ Step 3: Run the Script

Click Run → Grant permissions.
The script will scan Gmail for PDF attachments and save them to Drive.

(⚠️ This script does not remove the password—you must manually unlock the PDFs.)

🔍 Summary Table

Step	Action	Details
1️⃣ Download PDF	From Gmail	Cannot preview, must download
2️⃣ Remove Password	Chrome, Adobe, Online Tools	Required before saving to Drive
3️⃣ Upload to Drive	Google Drive website/app	Unlocked PDF is saved
4️⃣ Automate (Optional)	Google Apps Script	Saves PDFs automatically

🔥 Final Thoughts

✅ Google Drive does not support password-protected PDFs.
✅ You must first remove the password using Chrome, Adobe, or online tools.
✅ Then, you can upload and access the PDF in Google Drive.
✅ For automation, a Google Apps Script can auto-save PDFs from Gmail to Drive.

How to Save Password Protected PDF Attachments from Gmail to Google Drive