Lock notes on iPhone

Choose between your device passcode and a custom Notes password, and know what a lock leaves visible.

Locked notes work well for a short piece of private text, such as a confirmation number or a medical detail. They come with limits on what you can lock, and the method you pick decides who gets in.

Pick a locking method

1. Open Settings, tap Apps and tap Notes.
2. Tap Password. Choose an account if you have more than one.
3. Tap Use Device Passcode or the custom password option. Labels can vary by iOS version.
4. Turn on Face ID or Touch ID if you want it.

Device passcode. You have nothing new to remember, and you are less likely to lose access. Anyone who knows your passcode can open these notes. On a second device with the same Apple Account, you use that device’s own passcode. This option needs iCloud Keychain on.

Custom password. You use the same password on every device with your Apple Account, and it stays separate from your phone code. Set a hint when asked. Write the password down somewhere safe, because Apple warns against relying on Face ID alone to open these notes.

If someone close to you knows your passcode, the custom password is the option that keeps them out.

Lock a note

1. Open the note.
2. Tap the More button.
3. Tap Lock.

The note stays open until you lock it again. Tap the lock icon, or tap Lock Now at the top of the notes list.

To open a locked note, tap it, tap View Note and authenticate. To remove the lock, open it, tap the More button and tap Remove. That removes the lock on all your devices with the same Apple Account.

Limits worth checking first

Some notes cannot be locked. The list includes notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments, notes with tags, Quick Notes, notes that sync with other accounts such as Gmail or Yahoo, and notes shared in iCloud. Accounts signed in with a Managed Apple Account cannot lock notes either, which matters on a work phone.

One unlock opens them all for a while. Opening one locked note opens every locked note in that account for several minutes. Closing Notes or letting the phone sleep locks them again.

The title shows. A note titled “Bank PIN” announces itself even while locked. Use a boring title and put the real subject inside the note.

Several passwords can pile up. If you reset your password, older notes keep the old one. When you try the new password on an old note, iOS shows the old hint.

Forgetting the password

Apple does not have access to locked notes. If you forget a custom password and Face ID or Touch ID cannot open the note, that note is gone for practical purposes. Resetting only sets a password for notes you lock later.

Keep a copy of anything you cannot afford to lose somewhere else. For a crypto seed phrase, a locked note should not be your only copy, and this guide explains why many wallet makers advise against any digital copy.

Photos in locked notes

Apple’s lists of blocked attachments include video, audio, PDF and other files. Photos are not on those lists. We did not test every case, so check that a note with an image offers the Lock option on your phone, and remember that the original stays in your library until you remove it. For a whole collection of pictures, see the guide to locking photos.