How do I open the note you want to lock?

Open the Notes app and tap the note you want to protect. Make sure the note is fully open on your screen before moving to the next step.

How do I tap the three-dot menu?

On iPhone or iPad, tap the three dots (•••) in the top-right corner of the screen. On a Mac, click the Share button at the top of the note or right-click the note in the sidebar. A menu will appear with several options.

How do I select "lock note"?

Tap or click "Lock Note" from the menu. If this is your first time locking a note, you will be asked to set a password. Type the password you want to use, confirm it, and add a hint to help you remember it. If you want to use Face ID or Touch ID, turn on that option as well.

How do I lock the note?

After setting your password, tap "Lock Note" again. The note will now show a lock icon next to its title in the notes list. The contents are now hidden from anyone who opens the app.

How do I unlock a note when you need to read it?

Tap the locked note in your list. You will see a lock icon and a button that says "View Note." Tap that button, then use Face ID, Touch ID, or type your password. The note opens and stays unlocked until you close the app or lock it again manually.

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The Apple Notes app lets you lock individual notes so that only you can open them. This is useful for notes that contain passwords, financial information, medical details, or anything else you want to keep private — even if someone else picks up your phone.

When you lock a note, it gets protected by either a password you choose, your iPhone's Face ID, or your fingerprint (Touch ID). The note still appears in your list, but the contents are hidden until you unlock it.

You can lock notes on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The lock is tied to your Apple account, so a note locked on your iPhone will also be locked when you view it on your Mac.

Before you start, make sure your iPhone or iPad is running iOS 16 or later (or macOS Ventura 13 or later on a Mac). You can check this by going to Settings, tapping General, and then tapping About.

One thing to know: locking a note removes it from Siri suggestions and search results while it is locked, which is a good thing for privacy. You can lock as many notes as you want, and each one is individually locked — locking one does not lock all of your notes.

If you forget your notes password, Apple cannot recover it for you. Write it down somewhere safe, or consider using your device passcode as the notes password so you only have one thing to remember.

How to Lock Notes in the Apple Notes App

Open the note you want to lock

Tap the three-dot menu

Select "Lock Note"

Lock the note

Unlock a note when you need to read it

Still have questions?

Official Resources

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