How do you lock notes on iPhone?

Apple Notes has a lock built in, and many people never find it because it starts in Settings, not in the note. This guide follows Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, checked on 2026-10-09. The same steps work in iOS 18 and later, where Notes settings sit under Settings, Apps.

Step 1: choose how locked notes open

Apple gives you two lock methods. You choose one for each Notes account, for example your iCloud account and your On My iPhone account.

Method	Opens with	If you forget it
Device passcode	Your iPhone passcode, Face ID or Touch ID	You use the passcode you already know
Custom password	A password only for Notes, Face ID or Touch ID	Apple cannot help you get back in

To set it up:

1. Open Settings and tap Apps, then Notes.
2. Tap Password.
3. If you have more than one account, choose the account.
4. Tap Use Device Passcode or Use Custom Password.
5. Turn on Face ID or Touch ID if you want it.

The device passcode method needs iOS 16, iPadOS 16 or macOS 13 or later. A custom password works on much older systems, and it is the same on every device signed in to your Apple Account.

Step 2: lock a note

1. Open the Notes app and open the note.
2. Tap the Note Actions button.
3. Tap Lock.

To take the lock off, tap the Note Actions button again, then tap Remove.

Step 3: lock it again when you are done

Apple says that when you open one locked note, all locked notes in that account stay open for several minutes. That helps when you copy text between notes. It also means a person who picks up your phone in those minutes can read them. To close them now, tap the Unlock button inside the note, or tap Lock Now at the top of the notes list.

Which notes cannot be locked?

Apple lists the exceptions. You cannot lock:

• Notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments.
• Notes with tags.
• Quick Notes.
• Notes that sync with accounts other than iCloud and On My iPhone.
• Notes shared in iCloud.
• Notes that use features from a newer version of Notes.

So a photo of a document in a note can be locked, but a scanned PDF in the same note cannot. If you keep ID scans in Notes, check each one. Our guide on ID documents on your phone covers other places to keep them.

What a locked note still shows

• The title. Apple says the title stays visible in the notes list. Use a plain title such as “List” for a private note.
• The fact that it is locked. A lock icon tells anyone who opens Notes that you keep something there.
• Everything to someone with your passcode, if you chose the device passcode method. If a partner or family member knows your passcode, a custom password is the better choice. Read what to do when someone knows your passcode.

Custom password: read this before you forget it

Apple is direct about this. If you forget your custom password and Face ID or Touch ID cannot open the notes either, Apple cannot help you regain access. You can tap Reset Password under Settings, Apps, Notes, Password, but the new password applies only to notes you lock from then on. The old notes stay locked with the old password.

Apple also warns not to rely on Face ID or Touch ID as the only way in. If you change your Face ID or Touch ID settings, Notes asks for the password again.

Write the password down somewhere you control. For codes and recovery words, see where to keep a seed phrase or backup codes.

Can you lock the whole Notes app?

Yes, in iOS 18 and later. Touch and hold the Notes icon and tap Require Face ID. Apple says that information in a locked app does not show in notification previews, search or Siri suggestions. Our guide to hiding and locking apps has the steps. Built-in apps such as Notes can be locked but not hidden, so the icon stays on your Home Screen.

Where York Vault fits

York Vault keeps notes and checklists, encrypted, inside the same albums as your photos and files. They sit behind a York Vault code that differs from your iPhone passcode, and the note titles are not visible from outside the app. Voice notes go in the same place. See notes and voice notes.

York Vault opens with a PIN, a passcode or a pattern, with Face ID or Touch ID on top if you want it. See lock options. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Android. Notes and voice notes are free. Download York Vault.