The short version: on a Mac, select the note, click the More button next to the search field and choose Lock Note. On iPhone, open the note, tap More, then Lock. The full steps, including Touch ID on a MacBook, are below.
How to lock a note on a Mac or MacBook
- Open the Notes app and select the note you want to protect.
- Click the More button (three dots) next to the search field at the top right.
- Choose Lock Note.
- The first time, Notes asks for a password. Choose your Mac login password or a separate Notes password, and add a hint if you make a new one.
- To close every open locked note, click the Lock button next to the search field. Locked notes also close on their own after a while without use, or when you quit Notes.
On macOS 15 Sequoia and earlier, the command sits under the Lock button in the toolbar: click it and choose Lock Note, and later Close All Locked Notes.
Use Touch ID on a MacBook
- Choose Notes › Settings.
- Next to Locked notes, choose Use Login Password or set a custom password.
- Select Use Touch ID.
Touch ID then unlocks notes with the key on a MacBook or a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. If you use a custom password and forget it, Apple cannot recover the notes it protects.
How to lock a note on iPhone
- Open the note you want to protect.
- Tap the More button (three dots) at the top right.
- Tap Lock.
- The first time, choose Use iPhone Passcode or Create Password, and turn on Face ID if you want to unlock without typing. You can change this later in Settings › Apps › Notes › Password.
- The note stays open with a lock icon at the top. Tap the icon to hide it straight away; otherwise it locks again when you close Notes or the iPhone goes to sleep.
Why a note will not lock
Apple Notes leaves out the Lock option for:
- notes that contain tags;
- notes with a video, audio file, PDF or document attached (photos, scans, drawings and tables are fine);
- notes shared with other people, and Quick Notes;
- notes in Gmail, Yahoo and other IMAP accounts, which only iCloud and On My Mac or On My iPhone notes avoid.