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How to lock notes on iPhone

Updated October 4, 2026

Notes are where a lot of private things end up: Wi-Fi codes, account hints, journal entries, gift ideas. Here are two ways to lock notes on iPhone.

1. Lock notes in the Notes app

  1. Choose how locked notes open: Settings › Apps › Notes › Password. Pick Use iPhone Passcode or Use Custom Password, and turn on Face ID.
  2. Open a note, tap ••• and tap Lock.
  3. Lock again by tapping the padlock at the top, or just close the app — locked notes relock after a few minutes.

Good: built in, syncs with iCloud. Limits: with “Use iPhone Passcode”, anyone who knows your passcode can read them. With a custom password, forgetting it means those notes can't be opened. Note titles stay visible in the list.

2. Keep secret notes in an encrypted vault

Voice Unlock & App Locker has a Notes tab inside its vault. The whole vault — titles included — sits behind your voice phrase, Face ID or a PIN that is separate from your iPhone passcode, and each note is encrypted with AES-256-GCM on your iPhone.

  1. Open the vault by saying your phrase (or Face ID / PIN).
  2. Go to the Notes tab and tap the new-note button.
  3. Write. Notes save automatically and are encrypted before they're stored.

Good: separate lock, nothing in iCloud, hidden in the app switcher. Limits: notes stay on that one iPhone and aren't backed up. Forgot the PIN? You can reset it with Face ID or your iPhone passcode without losing anything.

Tips

Frequently asked questions

Can I lock a note with Face ID on iPhone?

Yes. In the Notes app, open the note, tap ••• and choose Lock. Locked notes open with Face ID, Touch ID, your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password, depending on the option you chose in Settings › Apps › Notes › Password.

What happens if I forget my Notes password?

Apple can't recover a custom Notes password. You can reset it for future notes, but notes locked with the old password still need the old one. Using your iPhone passcode for locked notes avoids this problem.

Is it safe to keep passwords in notes?

A dedicated password manager, such as the Passwords app, is the best place for logins. Locked or encrypted notes are fine for things a password manager doesn't handle well, like Wi-Fi codes, door codes or recovery hints.

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