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The Notes app, particularly paired with iCloud syncing, provides an easy way to jot down shopping lists, share information with other people, and record your private thoughts. But because some people might feel a little exposed by that, Apple lets you set a password for Notes on your devices and selectively lock notes for which you want extra protection. This password syncs across iCloud if you use have Notes enabled in iCloud settings on your devices. But set that password carefully! The password is not stored in iCloud Keychain, nor can it be retrieved from anywhere else. If you can’t remember and haven’t stored it manually in a password manager, the notes locked with it are unrecoverable forever. Apple can’t unlock them. That’s a bit of a scary thought because locking items with a password in Notes works differently than nearly all other password entries across the entire Apple ecosystem. Create and use a locking passwordYou can create a password for locked notes on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac:
In all of those operating systems, you can set a hint. This may be vitally important if you ever reset the password, as explained below in the reset section. With a password set up, you can now choose to lock individual notes. Setting a password has no automatic effect. Here’s how to lock a note:
I found in testing that behavior is a little erratic, particularly in syncing notes and their locked status. Synced notes often don’t have their locked status updated immediately. And enabling biometrics on one device when the password was initially set on another doesn’t seem to work correctly. For instance, I enabled Touch ID on my Mac with the Notes password, locked some notes, and then enabled Face ID for Notes on my iPhone. However, I continued to have to type in the password on my iPhone. At some point—and I don’t know what triggered it—Notes in iOS put up a prompt asking if I wanted to enable Face ID for Notes. I already had! Nevertheless, I agreed, and then Face ID unlocked notes from that point on whether they were locked on my Mac or iPhone. Immutable password that can be resetEnabling Face ID doesn’t always immediately let you unlock notes locked on your Mac!Once created, you can never disable the password for Notes. Instead, you can reset it in the same place in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS that you turned it on, as above. If iCloud sync for Notes is enabled, you’re prompted for your Apple ID password to proceed. Resetting the password encrypts all notes from that point on using the new password. If you unlock notes that were locked before you reset the password, you will either:
If you forgot your Notes password without enabling Face ID or Touch ID or never enabled either of those, there’s no way to recover it. With Face ID or Touch ID enabled for a given password, you can unlock those notes without knowing the associated password as long as you can enable those biometric methods of unlocking your phone. However, should you ever be unable to use Face ID or Touch ID and you couldn’t remember the associated Notes password or passwords, you would be unable to unlock those encrypted notes ever. This all seems a bit more complicated than it should be. Apple passes your most secure passwords and codes through iCloud Keychain without relying on such a fragile system. Thus, if you must lock individual notes, use a password manager to store the password you pick, including adding an entry by hand to Settings > Passwords (iOS/iPadOS); Safari > Preferences > Passwords (macOS), or the Password preference pane (Monterey) This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Bruno. Ask Mac 911We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to , including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice. How do you unlock a locked note on iPhone if you forgot the password?To unlock a note, you need to enter the password that it's locked with. If you forgot your notes password, Apple can't help you regain access to your locked notes. You can create a new notes password or use your device passcode instead, but this won't give you access to your old notes.
What do I do if I forgot my notes lock password?Use the following steps to reset your Notes password:. Open the Settings app.. Scroll down and tap Notes.. Tap Password.. Tap iCloud or On my iPhone.. Tap Reset Password at the bottom.. Enter your Apple ID password.. Enter your new password and verify it.. Enter a password hint you can use to remember your password.. |