How To Lock Your Notes In Apple Notes - AppleToolBox

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Over the past few years, we’ve seen Apple make great strides in an effort to keep its user’s information as private as possible. There are a few underlying features that do this, such as the “Ask App Not To Track” prompt that appears when you install certain apps. But Apple is also improving the privacy and security of different apps and features on your iPhone.

How to Lock Your Notes in Apple Notes

Set up Locked Notes in Settings

Apple has allowed you to lock your notes in Apple Notes for a while now, but the process was rather frustrating. Currently, it requires you to create a unique password in order to lock and unlock any notes. Needless to say, it’s not exactly the quickest way to get into a note that you need to access. But with iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, you can finally, use your device’s passcode in order to lock notes. Here’s how you can set up that feature:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Scroll down and tap Notes.
Tap Password.
If using this setting for the first time, you’ll see a new prompt appear.
Tap either Use iPhone Passcode or Create Password.
Authenticate the changes using the method offered (Face ID, Passcode, or Touch ID).

From this settings panel, you can also toggle the ability to unlock notes using Face ID or Touch ID, depending on what your Apple device offers. This is a feature that is enabled by default and is much easier than manually entering a passcode or password.

Once you’ve completed the steps above, you’ll be able to lock notes using your iPhone’s passcode, Face ID, Touch ID, or with a created password. The ability to use your iPhone’s passcode is one of the latest features to arrive in the Apple Notes app. Previously, you could only lock notes behind a self-created password.

The obvious advantage of using your iPhone’s passcode is that it’s likely much easier to remember compared to a traditional password. Of course, you could always add that created password to something like 1Password or another password manager. But this way is much quicker and offers a more seamless interaction than with previous iterations.

Lock Your Notes From the Notes App

With the settings in place and your iPhone’s passcode or a dedicated password at the ready, you can lock your notes from the Notes app. Here’s how you can do so:

Open the Notes app on your iPhone or iPad.
Locate and select the note that you want to lock.
Tap the Ellipsis (…) icon in the top right corner.
At the top of the drop-down menu, tap Lock.
Authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID, or your Passcode / Password.
Tap the Lock icon in the toolbar to lock the note.

Now you are able to lock your notes right from the Notes app. You will not be able to see a preview of them from the Notes overview, and authentication is required in order to unlock them. And thanks to the improvements to Smart Folders in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, you can even create a Smart Folder that houses only notes that are locked.

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Andrew Myrick

Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.

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How To Lock Your Notes In Apple Notes - AppleToolBox

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