How to Lock Notes on iPhone in 2026 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Quick answer: To lock a note on iPhone, open it in Apple Notes, tap the More button (three dots), choose Lock, and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. If you want the whole app, whole folders and single notes locked with their own PIN, plus a decoy notebook, use a dedicated app like Secure Notes.

How do I lock a note in the Apple Notes app?

Open the note, tap the More button (three dots) at the top, and choose Lock. Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your iPhone passcode. The note now shows a lock icon and needs authentication to open. Locked notes in Apple Notes use your device passcode or a separate notes password.

1. Open the Notes app and tap the note you want to lock.
2. Tap the More button (three dots) at the top of the note.
3. Choose Lock.
4. Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your iPhone passcode or notes password.
5. To lock it again after reading, tap the open lock icon at the top.

On current iOS versions, locked notes use your device passcode by default. You can switch to a separate notes password in the Settings app under Notes, then Password (on recent iOS versions it sits under Settings, Apps, Notes). How Apple encrypts locked notes is covered in our guide to Apple Notes encryption.

How do I lock notes with Secure Notes?

Install Secure Notes, set an app passcode and turn on Face ID or Touch ID. The whole app locks when you leave it. For a second layer, open a note's or folder's menu (or long-press it), choose Lock and set its own PIN. Locked items stay hidden until you unlock them.

• The app opens only with your passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, and auto-locks when you leave.
• Single notes and whole folders can carry their own PIN on top of the app lock.
• A decoy PIN (Pro) opens a separate, harmless notebook if someone makes you unlock the app.
• Pro can hide the app's content in the iPhone app switcher, so a glance at recent apps shows nothing.
• Notes stay on your iPhone, protected by iOS Data Protection; optional sync (Pro) goes only to your own private iCloud.
• 12 recovery words get you back in if you forget the app passcode.

Secure Notes on iPhone does not add its own encryption layer to notes; it relies on iOS Data Protection plus its locks. Its Pro encrypted backup file (version 3.8.1 and later) is AES-256 encrypted with your password. On Android, Secure Notes keeps the whole vault AES-256 encrypted. The full model is on our security page.

Can I lock a whole folder of notes on iPhone?

Apple Notes cannot lock folders, only individual notes. Secure Notes can lock a folder with its own PIN, so every note inside stays closed until that folder is unlocked, even when someone already has the app open. Face ID or Touch ID can unlock locked items too. See the secure folder guide for the steps.

Which locking method should I use?

Apple Notes' lock is fine for hiding a gift list or a spoiler. If the note matters to someone else (account recovery codes, a medical history, a private journal), you want more layers: an app lock, an item lock, and a way to hide the app's content when your phone is in someone else's hands. For the strongest iCloud protection Apple offers, also turn on Advanced Data Protection.

What if I forget the password for a locked note?

In Apple Notes, a forgotten custom notes password cannot be recovered; you can only reset it for future notes. In Secure Notes, the 12 recovery words you save at setup let you get back into the app if you forget the app passcode. Write them on paper and keep them somewhere safe.

After five failed Face ID attempts, or after a restart, iOS asks for the device passcode. Our Face ID guide lists every case.