Locked notes are for things you especially want to protect, such as passwords or account numbers. You unlock them with your PIN (or a passkey) each time you open one.
We plan to make locked notes a Pro feature with the official release. During the beta, anyone can use them for free. Even after the official release, you can still open the locked notes you've made and remove their lock (Plans).
Tap the lock button above the notes list and enter your PIN to open your locked notes. Then tap οΌ to create one. You set a PIN the first time.
Creating a locked note
Tap the lock button above the notes list and enter your PIN to open your locked notes. Then tap οΌ (on a computer, "New locked note"). On a phone, you can also choose Locked note in the οΌ menu at the bottom right.
The first time, you're asked to set a PIN. Choose "6 digits" or "Password" (at least 8 characters), and enter the same PIN twice.
Also enter your recovery key and tap "Set". This lets you reset your PIN with the recovery key if you forget it. If you saved your recovery key as a password, it can be filled in automatically. You only enter it this once.
An empty locked note opens. You can write in it like any other note. "Locked" is shown at the top.
Tags
You can tag locked notes too. Tags are shared with your regular notes.
While your locked notes are open, the tag list in the menu shows the tags used in locked notes and their counts. With your regular notes, tags used only in locked notes aren't shown.
To search or filter them by tag, open your locked notes first.
Renaming or deleting a tag while locked notes are locked doesn't change their tags. To change them too, unlock first.
Adding a lock to an existing note
Open the note and choose Add lock in its β― menu. Its history and attachments are re-encrypted too.
Its earlier content stays in backups, still encrypted, for up to about 90 days. For things you especially want to protect, we recommend writing them in a new locked note.
Notes you're sharing can't be locked. Stop sharing them first.
Opening and locking
Tap the lock button above the notes list to enter your PIN. Once unlocked, your locked notes open, and the lock button shows an open lock while they stay unlocked. Tap one of the icons to its right (such as My notes) to go back to your regular notes without locking. On the locked notes list, tap the open-lock icon to lock them and go back. Locked notes don't appear in the regular notes list.
While they're locked, reminders and the trash show only "Locked note" and when it was updated, not the title.
Tap a locked locked note to enter your PIN. A 6-digit PIN unlocks as soon as you finish typing it.
Once unlocked, you can open all your locked notes without the PIN until they lock again.
They lock automatically:
after the time you choose without activity (5 minutes at first; choose 1, 5, 15 or 30 minutes under "Auto-lock" in Settings β Encryption)
when you leave the app (go to the home screen, or switch to another app or tab)
To lock right away, tap the open-lock icon on the locked notes list, or use "Locked notes" in Settings β Encryption.
When they lock, an open locked note is saved and closed.
Unlocking with a passkey
You can unlock locked notes with a passkey (Face ID, fingerprint and so on) instead of your PIN. Under "Locked notes" in Settings β Encryption, tap Turn on next to Unlock with passkey, use your passkey, then enter your PIN. If you don't have a passkey yet, one is added first.
On a device where it's on, Unlock with passkey appears when you open a locked note. If you cancel or it doesn't work, you can unlock with your PIN.
This is set for each passkey. A passkey synced with iCloud Keychain or similar works on the devices it syncs to. On a device with a different passkey, turn it on there too.
To turn it off, tap Turn off in the same place. Removing the passkey under "Passkeys" in Settings β Encryption also stops it from unlocking.
On devices where a passkey also works with the device passcode (such as iPhone), the passcode can unlock locked notes too. Don't turn this on if someone else knows your device passcode.
Using other devices
Your PIN is the same on all your devices, so you can open locked notes on other devices with the same PIN.
A device needs your protection key to open locked notes. If it doesn't have it, you're asked to get it first: approve from a device you use, or enter your recovery key.
Changing or forgetting your PIN
Change your PIN with Change PIN under "Locked notes" in Settings β Encryption. Enter your current PIN, then the new one. You can also switch between 6 digits and a password.
After 10 wrong PINs in a row, locked notes lock on all your devices and can't be opened with a PIN.
If you forget your PIN or it's locked, tap Forgot your PIN? on the PIN screen and enter your recovery key and a new PIN.
When you change your recovery key, you're also asked for your PIN, so the new recovery key can reset it.
Removing the lock
Open a locked note and choose Remove lock in its β― menu. It becomes a regular note that opens without your PIN.
Notes
Locked notes can't be shared.
They aren't shown to agents (ChatGPT, Claude) or connected apps.
You can't save while offline, because the content isn't kept on your device.
Reminder notifications show only "Locked note".
On phones (iPhone and Android), the app switcher may show the screen you had open just before you left. If you don't want it seen, close the note or go back to the list before leaving.
If you lose both your PIN and your recovery key, nobody can open your locked notes.