What Does "Locked Comments" Mean in a PDF?

A locked comment is an annotation that cannot be modified or moved because its Locked property has been enabled. For example, a reviewer may lock a text box, sticky note, highlight, or other annotation after adding it to a document.

However, "locked comments" can also refer to a broader issue where the PDF itself does not allow users to add or modify comments.

There are two common situations:

1. An Individual Comment Is Locked

Only a particular annotation is protected. Other comments or PDF features may still work normally.

2. Commenting Is Restricted for the Entire PDF

The PDF's security settings may prevent users from adding, editing, deleting, or replying to comments. In this case, changing the properties of an individual comment may not solve the problem.

Understanding which situation applies to your PDF is the first step toward unlocking comments.

Why Are Comments Locked in a PDF?

There are several possible reasons why you cannot work with PDF comments:

• The document creator has disabled commenting.
• An owner/permissions password restricts annotations.
• A specific comment has been marked as locked.
• Editing and commenting permissions have been disabled.
• The PDF has been digitally signed or certified.
• The document was created with specific security restrictions.
• The PDF viewer you are using does not support the required commenting feature.
• The PDF may be damaged or incorrectly generated.

For example, a PDF may open normally without asking for a password, while still preventing you from making comments. This generally indicates that document permissions, rather than an open password, are responsible for the restriction.

How to Check if Commenting Is Restricted in a PDF

Before trying to unlock comments, check the PDF's security settings.

If you are using Adobe Acrobat:

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Go to File > Properties.
3. Select the Security tab.
4. Check the Document Restrictions Summary.
5. Look for the Commenting permission.
6. If it says Not Allowed, commenting is restricted.

You may also see restrictions for editing, copying, printing, or form filling.

This check helps determine whether you are dealing with a locked annotation or document-level security.

How to Unlock a Locked Comment in PDF

The appropriate method depends on what has been locked. Below are the most practical approaches.

Method 1: Unlock an Individual Comment Using Adobe Acrobat

If only a specific annotation is locked and you have permission to modify it, you can try changing its comment properties.

Steps to Unlock a Comment

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Locate the locked comment or annotation.
3. Right-click the comment.
4. Select Properties.
5. Look for the Locked option.
6. Clear the Locked checkbox.
7. Click OK.
8. Try moving or editing the comment.

If the comment is unlocked successfully, you should be able to modify it normally.

When Does This Method Work?

This method is useful when the individual annotation has been locked. It does not necessarily work when the entire PDF has commenting restrictions.

For example, if the PDF security settings say that commenting is not allowed, simply changing the comment's properties may not remove the document-level restriction.

How to Unlock Protected Comments in PDF - Try Free Online Tools 

If a PDF opens normally but you cannot add, edit, delete, or reply to comments, the document may have commenting restrictions enabled. Before trying an online unlocking tool, check whether the problem is limited to one locked annotation or applies to the entire PDF. In Adobe Acrobat, an individual locked comment can be unlocked by opening its Properties and clearing the Locked option.

When commenting is restricted at the document level, you can try a free online PDF unlocker. These tools generally work by uploading the protected PDF, processing its security settings, and providing an unlocked copy for download. Here's the steps to unlock comments in PDF: 

1. Open the free online PDF tools on your websites. 
2. Drag or drop the document > add the password. 
3. Finally, hit Unlock button and enable commenting in PDF. 

Limitations on Above Method

• Privacy concerns: You need to upload the PDF to a third-party server.
• File-size limits: Free tools may restrict the maximum PDF size.
• Usage restrictions: Some services limit the number of files processed daily.
• Internet dependency: A stable internet connection is required.
• Limited security support: Advanced encryption or certain restrictions may not be supported.
• Password limitations: Some tools cannot recover forgotten PDF passwords.
• Digital signatures: Unlocking a signed PDF may affect its signature validity.

 How to Unlock Locked Comment in PDF Using Automated Tool 

To unlock the locked comments in PDF, try SysTools PDF Unlocker Software, designed for Windows or macOS. Using the tool, you can remove the password and owner permissions from PDF document. It allows uses to bypass restrictions from PDF in one attempt. Compared to Adobe Acrobat, this is a reliable and cost-effective utility to unlock the commenting in PDF document. Now, follow the below steps to unlock comments in PDF file: 

1. Download the above software on your system. 
2. "Add files or Folders" to upload the locked files. 
3. Enter the password and then Save > hit Change. 
4. Finally, use the Unlock button. 

Final Words

In the above guide, we have explained how to unlock locked comments in PDF document. Using these methods, you can access a unlocked document. Among all the methods, SysTools mentioned utility is secure and reliable for all the users.