How to Lock Notes with a Password or Touch ID in Apple Notes on Mac

Whether you keep confidential financial records, personal journal entries, or sensitive work notes on your Mac, ensuring that private information remains shielded from prying eyes is crucial. The native Apple Notes app includes robust built-in cryptographic protection that allows you to lock individual notes using your Mac login password, a custom dedicated password, or biometric Touch ID authentication.

When you lock a note, Apple encrypts its contents—including text, tables, scanned documents, and image attachments—using industry-standard 256-bit AES-GCM encryption. The note cannot be viewed in preview mode, will not display its text in Spotlight search results, and remains inaccessible until authenticated. Here is how to lock notes with a password or Touch ID in Apple Notes on macOS.

Choosing Your Locking Method: Mac Password vs Custom Password

In modern versions of macOS (including macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia), Apple gives you two choices for securing your locked notes:

• Use Mac Login Password (Recommended): Integrates seamlessly with your Mac’s native credentials and Touch ID sensor. If you use iCloud Notes across Apple devices, this mode unlocks with your respective device passcode (iPhone/iPad passcode or Mac user password), eliminating the need to memorise a separate secret.
• Use Custom Password: Creates a distinct, standalone passphrase strictly for your locked notes across all synced Apple devices. If you share your Mac login password with family members or colleagues, choosing a custom password guarantees that only you can access private notes.

Step 1: Configure Your Locking Preferences in Apple Notes

Before locking your first note, configure how you want Notes to authenticate on your Mac:

1. Open the Notes app on your Mac.
2. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Notes and select Settings… (or press Command + Comma).
3. In the Settings window, locate the Locked Notes section.
4. Click the Choose password… or Set Password… button.
5. Select either Use Login Password or Use Custom Password based on your preference.
6. Tick the checkbox labelled Use Touch ID if your Mac features a built-in Touch ID sensor on the keyboard or Magic Keyboard.
7. Click OK to save your configuration.

Step 2: How to Lock an Individual Note

Locking is applied on a note-by-note basis rather than locking the entire application:

1. In the Notes sidebar or folder list, select the specific note you want to protect.
2. Click the Lock icon located in the top toolbar of the Notes window, then choose Lock Note. Alternatively, right-click (or Control-click) the note in the notes list and select Lock Note.
3. Enter your configured password (or rest your registered finger on the Touch ID sensor) to confirm.
4. A closed padlock icon appears next to the note title in your list. The note remains unlocked during your current working session so you can continue editing.

Step 3: How to Close and Lock All Notes Immediately

Once you finish reading or editing a locked note, you should close the session so the contents are shielded:

• Click the Lock icon in the top Notes toolbar and select Close All Locked Notes.
• Alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut Option + Command + L to immediately lock all open notes.
• Apple Notes automatically locks all open secure notes whenever you close the app, lock your Mac screen, put your computer to sleep, or leave the Mac idle for several minutes.

Once locked, the main reading pane displays a padlock icon accompanied by the message: “This note is locked. Enter your password to view it.”

Step 4: How to Unlock and View a Protected Note

To view the hidden contents of a locked note:

1. Click the locked note in your list.
2. Click the Enter Password… button on the reading canvas (or click the Lock icon in the toolbar).
3. Rest your finger on the Touch ID sensor or type your password and press Return.
4. The note opens immediately, decrypting text and attachments. All other locked notes within the same account remain accessible until you manually close them or the screen locks.

How to Remove Password Protection from a Note

If a note no longer contains sensitive data and you wish to return it to standard unencrypted status:

1. Select the locked note and authenticate to view its contents.
2. Click the Lock icon in the top toolbar.
3. Select Remove Lock (or right-click the note and select Remove Lock).
4. The padlock disappears from the title and the note reverts to standard unencrypted storage.

Important Limitations and Unsupported Content

While Apple Notes’ encryption is enterprise-grade, certain types of notes cannot be locked:

• Video and Audio Attachments: Notes containing embedded video recordings, native audio tracks, or QuickTime files cannot be locked. Remove the media file before locking.
• Collaborative Shared Notes: If you share an entire folder or individual note with other Apple users via iCloud collaboration, the note cannot be locked. Locking must be removed before sharing.
• Smart Folders: Locked notes will not display full-text previews inside Smart Folders; only their titles and dates will appear.
• Password Recovery Warning: If you use a custom password instead of your Mac login password and forget it, Apple cannot reset or decrypt your notes. Always configure a memorable password hint during initial setup.