---
title: "How to Lock Notes on iPhone, and What Locked Notes Can't Do"
description: "Lock notes on iPhone with your passcode or a separate password, fix notes that won't lock (tags, PDFs, video) and see who can still open your locked notes."
url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-notes-iphone
lang: en
published: 2026-10-29
updated: 2026-10-29
author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team"
publisher: VaultForYou
---

# How to lock notes on iPhone, and what a locked note can't do

> Locked notes are encrypted and genuinely private, but the title stays visible, many attachments block the lock, and a passcode lock opens for anyone who knows your passcode.

Published 2026-10-29 - Updated 2026-10-29 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team

## Quick answer

To lock a note on iPhone, open it, tap the More button, then tap Lock. First choose how locked notes open in Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password: your device passcode (with Face ID or Touch ID) or a custom password. Notes with video, audio, PDFs, files or tags can't be locked, and the title stays visible.

- **Lock a note:** Open the note -> More button -> Lock.
- **Choose the key:** Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password: device passcode or a custom password.
- **Won't lock:** Notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments, tags, Quick Notes, shared notes, Gmail or Yahoo notes.
- **Forgot the password?:** Apple can't recover a custom Notes password. Resetting only affects notes you lock afterward.

Open the note, tap the **More** button, then tap **Lock**. Before that, pick how locked notes open in **Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password**: your iPhone passcode (with Face ID or Touch ID), or a custom password that's separate from it. Locked notes are a good home for account numbers, medical details or a private journal. They have firm limits: notes with video, audio, PDFs, files or tags can't be locked, and the title of a locked note stays visible. It's real encryption, but only for the body of the note.

We checked these steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation in October 2026. Below: how to lock a note, which password to use, why some notes won't lock, and when a locked note isn't the right place for something.

## How to lock a note on iPhone

1. **Choose how locked notes open** Open Settings, tap Apps, tap Notes, then tap Password. Pick an account if you have more than one, then choose Use Device Passcode or Use Custom Password. Turn on Face ID or Touch ID if you want.
2. **Check the note can be locked** The note must be in iCloud or On My iPhone, with no video, audio, PDF or file attachments and no tags. Remove them or move the note first.
3. **Lock the note** Open the note in Notes, tap the More button, then tap Lock. The note stays open until you tap the lock icon.
4. **Close it** Tap the lock icon in the note, or tap Lock Now at the top of the notes list. Only the title stays visible.

To open a locked note, tap it, tap **View Note**, then use Face ID, Touch ID, your passcode or your Notes password. To remove the lock, open the note, tap the **More** button, then tap **Remove**. Apple says removing a lock removes it on every device signed in to the same Apple Account.

One behavior surprises people: opening one locked note unlocks **all** your locked notes in that account for several minutes, so you can jump between them. They lock again when you close Notes or your iPhone goes to sleep, or straight away if you tap **Lock Now**.

## Device passcode or custom password?

This one choice decides who can open your locked notes. You set it per Notes account in **Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password**.

| | Use Device Passcode | Use Custom Password |
|---|---|---|
| What opens your notes | Your iPhone passcode, plus Face ID or Touch ID if you turn them on | A separate Notes password, plus Face ID or Touch ID if you turn them on |
| On your other devices | Each device's own passcode or Mac login password | The same Notes password everywhere you're signed in |
| Someone who knows your iPhone passcode | **Can open them** | **Can't**, unless they also know the Notes password |
| If you forget it | Your passcode is the key, so there's less to lose | Apple can't help you get back in |
| Requirements | iCloud Keychain must be on; devices need iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13 or later | Works back to iOS 9.3 |

**Which to pick:** if the person you're worried about knows your iPhone passcode, use a custom password and keep it in a password manager. If you mainly want notes closed when someone borrows your phone, the device passcode is simpler and safer against lockouts.

Apple also warns against relying on Face ID or Touch ID as your only way in. If you change your Face ID or Touch ID settings, you'll need to type the Notes password again.

## Why can't I lock a note on my iPhone?

You can only lock notes stored **On My iPhone** or in **iCloud**. Even there, Apple blocks the Lock option for several kinds of note:

| The note has... | Why it won't lock | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Video, audio, PDF or file attachments | Not supported in locked notes | Remove the attachment, or protect the file another way |
| A Keynote, Pages or Numbers document | Not supported | Remove it; Pages can password-protect its own documents |
| Tags | Notes with tags can't be locked | Delete the #tags; turn off **Auto Convert to Tag** in Settings -> Apps -> Notes |
| Features from a newer version of Notes | Not supported on that version | Update your iPhone |
| Sharing in iCloud | Shared notes can't be password-protected | Stop sharing: tap the person's icon or Add People, then Manage Shared Note -> Stop Sharing |
| A Gmail, Yahoo or other synced account | Third-party accounts don't support locking | Move the note to iCloud or On My iPhone |
| It's a Quick Note | Quick Notes can't be locked | Copy the contents into a regular note |
| A Managed Apple Account (work or school) | Locking isn't available | Use a personal iCloud account |

The PDF rule catches a lot of people. If you need to lock a document, put the password on the PDF itself instead: see [how to password-protect a PDF on iPhone](/blog/password-protect-pdf-iphone).

## What a locked note hides, and what it doesn't

**It hides** the body of the note: text, checklists, tables and photos. Apple says both locking options keep locked notes secure with end-to-end encryption for iCloud accounts, and that Apple doesn't have access to them.

**It doesn't hide:**

- **The title.** Apple says it stays visible in the notes list. Give sensitive notes a dull name.
- **That the note exists.** Locked notes sit in your list with a lock icon.
- **Copies elsewhere.** If you added a photo from your library, the original is still in Photos. If you take a photo with the camera inside Notes and **Save to Photos** is on in Settings -> Apps -> Notes, a copy also lands in Photos.
- **Old notes after a reset.** A new password doesn't re-lock or unlock older notes; they keep the password they were locked with.

Also check **Access Notes from Lock Screen** in the same settings screen. Turn it off if you don't want anyone starting or resuming a note from your Lock Screen.

## Who can open your locked notes?

| Who | Can they read the note? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Someone scrolling your Notes list | **The title only** | Titles stay visible; the body is locked. |
| Someone who knows your iPhone passcode | **Yes, with Use Device Passcode. No, with a custom password** | The device-passcode option accepts your passcode. |
| Someone whose face or finger is enrolled | **Yes, if Face ID or Touch ID is on for Notes** | Biometrics open locked notes when enabled. |
| Someone using your iPad or Mac | **Only with that device's passcode, or the Notes password** | Each device has its own unlock, or the shared custom password. |
| Apple | **No** | Apple says it doesn't have access to locked notes. |
| You, after forgetting a custom password | **No, unless Face ID or Touch ID still works** | There's no recovery; a reset only affects new locks. |

## Can you lock the whole Notes app?

Locking notes protects individual notes. If you'd rather nobody opens Notes at all, Apple's app lock can require Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to open an app, and Notes isn't on Apple's list of built-in apps that can't be locked. Touch and hold the app and tap **Require Face ID**. That lock opens with your iPhone passcode, so it adds convenience, not a second key. Our guide on [how to lock apps on iPhone](/blog/lock-apps-iphone) covers it, including which apps can't be locked.

## Is a locked note enough for photos and documents?

For a few photos and private text, a locked note with a custom password works well. It's encrypted, it has its own password, and it follows you to your other Apple devices. Our guide on [how to lock photos on iPhone](/blog/lock-photos-on-iphone) compares it with the Hidden album and other options.

It gets awkward fast for anything bigger:

- **No videos, PDFs or files.** Only photos and text can be locked.
- **The originals stay in Photos.** Adding a photo to a note copies it. Delete the original and empty Recently Deleted, or the lock protects nothing.
- **One note at a time.** There's no locked folder; see [how to lock a folder on iPhone](/blog/lock-folder-on-iphone) for workarounds.

For ID scans, think about where the scan will end up before you choose: our guide on [where to store passport and ID scans](/blog/store-passport-id-scans-iphone) covers the options. If you need a private space for many photos, videos and documents, we make VaultForYou, an app that keeps the files you choose in a vault that opens only with a pattern you draw. Files are encrypted on your iPhone and stay outside the Photos library. It needs no account, and a forgotten pattern can't be recovered, the same trade-off as a custom Notes password.

> **Photos and videos a locked note can't hold.** A vault on your iPhone that opens only with your pattern. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000)

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I lock notes on my iPhone?

Open the note in the Notes app, tap the More button, then tap Lock. The first time, you'll choose whether locked notes open with your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password; you can also set this in Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password. Tap the lock icon or Lock Now to close it. To open it again, tap View Note and authenticate.

### Why can't I lock a note on my iPhone?

Apple doesn't allow locking notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments, Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents, notes with tags, Quick Notes, notes shared in iCloud, or notes that sync with Gmail, Yahoo or another account. Notes on a Managed Apple Account can't be locked either. Remove the attachment or tag, or move the note to iCloud or On My iPhone, then try again.

### Why do notes with tags not lock?

Apple simply doesn't support locking a note with tags, so the Lock option won't work until the tags are gone. Delete the #tags from the note, then lock it. If tags keep appearing as you type, turn off Auto Convert to Tag in Settings -> Apps -> Notes, which stops #text turning into a tag when you type a space.

### Are locked notes on iPhone encrypted?

Yes. Apple says both locking options, device passcode and custom password, keep locked notes secure with end-to-end encryption for iCloud accounts, and that Apple doesn't have access to locked notes. That's why Apple can't help you get back in if you forget a custom Notes password. The note's title isn't hidden, though.

### Can someone see my locked notes if they know my passcode?

If you chose Use Device Passcode, yes: your iPhone passcode opens every locked note. A custom Notes password keeps them out, unless you also turned on Face ID or Touch ID and their face or finger is enrolled on your iPhone. Either way, anyone holding your phone can read the titles in the notes list.

### What happens if I forget my locked notes password?

If it's a custom password and Face ID or Touch ID don't work, Apple says it can't help you regain access to those notes. You can reset the password in Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password -> Reset Password, but the new password only applies to notes you lock from then on. Old notes still need the old password.

### Is there a notes app for iPhone with password protection?

The built-in Notes app already has it. You can lock individual notes with a custom password that's separate from your iPhone passcode, and iCloud locked notes are end-to-end encrypted. Before installing another notes app, check whether its lock uses its own password, encrypts the content and hides titles, and what happens if you forget the password.

### Can I hide the title of a locked note?

No. Apple says the title of a locked note remains visible in the notes list, so the first line you write is effectively public to anyone who opens Notes. Give locked notes a neutral title, such as a date or a dull word, and put everything sensitive below it.

## Bottom line

To lock notes on iPhone, choose a password method in **Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password**, then open a note, tap **More** and tap **Lock**. Locked notes are end-to-end encrypted for iCloud accounts, and Apple can't read them.

Know the limits: the title stays visible, notes with video, PDFs, files or tags won't lock, and a device-passcode lock opens for anyone who knows your passcode. If that person exists, use a custom password and store it somewhere safe.

Keep reading:

- [How to lock apps on iPhone](/blog/lock-apps-iphone)
- [How to password-protect a PDF on iPhone](/blog/password-protect-pdf-iphone)
- [How to lock a folder on iPhone](/blog/lock-folder-on-iphone)

## Sources

- [Apple Support: Lock your notes on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-notes-iphf177bb154/ios)
- [Apple Support: How to lock or unlock notes on your iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102537)
- [Apple Support: Change your Notes settings on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-notes-settings-iph92579feda/ios)
- [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios)

## Keep reading

- [How to Lock a Folder on iPhone (Secure Folder Alternatives)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-folder-on-iphone): iPhone can't lock a folder or match Samsung's Secure Folder. Here are 5 workarounds, from locked Notes and Face ID app lock to vaults, ranked by protection.
- [How to Lock Photos on iPhone: 4 Ways That Actually Work (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-photos-on-iphone): Lock photos on iPhone with the Hidden album, a Face ID lock on the Photos app, a locked note or an encrypted vault, and see who can still open each one.
- [How to Lock Apps on iPhone With or Without Face ID (2026)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-apps-iphone): Lock any app on iPhone with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, turn the lock off again, and see which apps can't be locked and what a locked app still shows.
- [How to Password-Protect a PDF on iPhone (and Open or Save One)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/password-protect-pdf-iphone): Password-protect a PDF on iPhone with the built-in Preview app, learn what an owner password is, and save, open or share password-protected PDFs safely.

---

Our guides are written and fact-checked by the VaultForYou team against Apple's own documentation. We make VaultForYou, a private vault app for iPhone. Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000