How to Password-Protect Notes on iPhone (2026 Tutorial)

Quick answer: To password-protect notes on iPhone with Secure Notes, create an app passcode, save the 12 recovery words, turn on Face ID or Touch ID, and lock your most sensitive notes or folders with their own PIN. In Apple Notes, open a note, tap the More button and choose Lock.

How do I set up a password for my notes?

In Secure Notes, the app passcode you create at first launch locks the whole app, and Face ID or Touch ID can unlock it day to day. In Apple Notes, open a note, tap the More button and choose Lock; it uses your iPhone passcode or a separate notes password.

1. Install Secure Notes from the App Store. There is no account to create.
2. Open the app and create your passcode. It locks the whole app.
3. Write down the 12 recovery words on paper. If you forget the passcode, they get you back in.
4. Turn on Face ID or Touch ID so you do not need to type the passcode every time.
5. Lock the notes and folders that need a second layer and give them their own PIN.

For Apple's built-in option step by step, see how to lock notes on iPhone.

Can I use a different password for each note?

Yes, in Secure Notes. Lock a single note or a folder and give it its own PIN, separate from the app passcode. Someone who gets into the app still cannot open that item without its PIN. Apple Notes uses one password for all locked notes.

How do I password-protect a folder of notes?

Create a folder, move or create notes inside it, then choose Lock Folderand set a PIN. Folder locks are the fastest way to protect a themed set: journals, medical records, or one client's files. The full walkthrough is in our secure folder guide.

What happens if I forget my Secure Notes passcode?

Use the 12 recovery words you saved during setup to get back into the app and set a new passcode. Face ID and Touch ID are convenience unlocks, not recovery. Keep the words on paper, away from the phone, and never in a screenshot.

Is a password-protected note encrypted?

It depends on the app. Apple Notes encrypts locked notes with your passcode or notes password. Secure Notes on iPhone relies on iOS Data Protection, which encrypts the phone's storage, plus its own passcode lock; its Pro backup file is AES-256 encrypted. On Android, Secure Notes encrypts the whole vault.

We explain exactly what each layer protects on the Secure Notes security page and in what encrypted notes on iOS really means.