--- title: "How to Lock Notes on iPhone: 3 Ways (iOS 27)" description: "Lock Notes on iPhone with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode in 10 seconds, then see what the lock hides and how to remove it again." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/notes lang: en-gb published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-10-31 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to lock Notes on iPhone > Face ID can guard Notes in 10 seconds. Notes' own lock goes further. Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against iOS 27 - 31 Oct 2026 ## Quick answer Touch and hold the Notes icon, tap Require Face ID, then tap it again to confirm. Notes then asks for Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens. It works on iOS 18 or later and takes about 10 seconds. Notes also has its own lock: Locked notes (device passcode or custom password) (Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password -> [account] -> Use Device Passcode or Use Custom Password; then in Notes: open the note -> Note Actions button -> Lock). - **Fastest way:** Touch and hold -> Require Face ID -> confirm. - **Own lock:** Locked notes (device passcode or custom password), with its own code. - **Opens with:** Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. - **Other devices:** The iOS lock doesn't sync. Set it on each device. - **iOS version:** iOS 18 or later - **Time needed:** About 10 seconds - **Difficulty:** Easy - **Needs an app?:** No - **Reversible?:** Yes - **Separate code?:** Yes, with Locked notes (device passcode or custom password) iOS can lock Notes with Face ID in about 10 seconds, and Notes adds Locked notes (device passcode or custom password), which uses its own code. Below: 3 ways to lock it, and what each one does and doesn't protect. We checked the iOS steps against Apple's iOS 27 documentation and Notes' settings against Apple's official help pages in October 2026. ## Method 1: Lock Notes with Face ID (iOS 18 and later) 1. **Find Notes on your Home Screen** Touch and hold the Notes icon until the quick actions menu opens. 2. **Tap Require Face ID** On iPhones with Touch ID it says Require Touch ID. Require Passcode is also offered. 3. **Confirm** Tap Require Face ID again and authenticate. Notes now asks for Face ID every time it opens. Notes relocks each time you leave it. Apple says information inside a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search or Siri suggestions. **What this does not do:** your iPhone passcode opens every locked app. So does anyone whose face or fingerprint is enrolled on your phone. ## Method 2: Notes' own lock ### Locked notes (device passcode or custom password) Go to **Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password -> [account] -> Use Device Passcode or Use Custom Password; then in Notes: open the note -> Note Actions button -> Lock**. You can lock notes with your device passcode (and Face ID or Touch ID) or with a custom password that's separate from your iPhone passcode. When a note is locked, its title remains visible in the notes list. This lock uses its own code, separate from your iPhone passcode. That makes it stronger against someone who knows your passcode. Don't forget the code. ## iOS lock vs Notes' own lock | | iOS Require Face ID | Locked notes (device passcode or custom password) | |---|---|---| | Opens with | Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode | Its own code (Face ID may also be offered) | | Separate from iPhone passcode | No | Yes | | Hides notification content | Yes | Depends on the app | | Set where | Home Screen, touch and hold the icon | Settings -> Apps -> Notes -> Password -> [account] -> Use Device Passcode or Use Custom Password; then in Notes: open the note -> Note Actions button -> Lock | ## Locking Notes doesn't lock its photos Photos you saved from Notes are in your camera roll, outside the lock. Move them into a vault and delete the originals from Photos. > **Lock this in VaultForYou.** Keep Notes photos in an encrypted vault that opens only with a pattern you draw. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000) ## How to unlock Notes again Touch and hold Notes, tap **Don't Require Face ID**, then authenticate. To stop Notes using Face ID for its own sign-in, go to **Settings -> Face ID & Passcode -> Other Apps** and turn it off. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I lock Notes on my iPhone? Yes. On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold Notes, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. It then needs Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode every time it opens. Notes also has its own lock, Locked notes (device passcode or custom password). ### How do I lock Notes without Face ID? Use the same menu. On iPhones with Touch ID it reads Require Touch ID, and you can choose your passcode instead. Notes' Locked notes (device passcode or custom password) can also use its own code. ### Can someone open Notes if they know my passcode? Yes, if you only use Require Face ID: it accepts your iPhone passcode. Notes' Locked notes (device passcode or custom password) uses its own code, so it can stop someone who knows your iPhone passcode. ### Does locking Notes hide its notifications? It hides what's inside them. Apple says information from a locked app won't appear in notification previews, search or Siri suggestions. The icon stays on your Home Screen. To hide the icon too, use Hide and Require Face ID, which works only for App Store apps. ### Does a lock on Notes carry over to my iPad? No. Apple says locked and hidden apps don't sync with iCloud. The lock only applies to the iPhone where you set it. Lock Notes separately on your iPad with the same menu (iPadOS 18 or later). ## Bottom line Require Face ID locks Notes in about 10 seconds. Notes' Locked notes (device passcode or custom password) adds a separate code, which is the stronger choice. ## Sources - [Apple Support: Lock or hide an app on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-or-hide-an-app-iph00f208d05/ios) - [Apple Personal Safety User Guide: Lock or hide apps on your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/ipsd0be4c185/web) - [Apple Support: Lock your notes on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-notes-iphf177bb154/ios) - [Apple Support: Change your Notes settings on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-notes-settings-iph92579feda/ios) ## More Notes privacy guides - [How to hide Notes on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-apps/notes) - [How to hide photos in Notes](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/hide-photos/notes) - [Notes privacy on iPhone: every setting](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/apps/notes) ## Lock apps for other apps - [How to lock Photos on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/photos) - [How to lock Safari on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/safari) - [How to lock Camera on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/camera) - [How to lock WhatsApp on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/whatsapp) - [How to lock Cash App on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/cash-app) - [How to lock Facebook Messenger on iPhone](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps/messenger) - [All lock-app guides](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/lock-apps) --- 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