Apple Notes asks you for a password when you try to open a particular entry? Even if you do not remember that password, you may be able to still access the note—if you are quick. Find out here what to do if you forgot your Apple Notes password (on iPhone, iPad, Mac and iCloud.com).
First, Turn Your House into a Chimney in Summer
The summer, the city, the home: all hot?
Now, hot air from a fireplace rises into, up and out of a chimney. This creates a wee bit of a vacuum inside the house, which draws in fresh and cool air from outside, of course.
Back at the hot summer and city, I’ve read it recommended to open windows strategically—to create a chimney’s stack effect blowing through the house: open a sunny-side window on the top floor and one in the shade at the ground floor. Hot air will rise out of that top window and draw cool and fresh air in at the bottom…
This should work well—as long as the air inside that top floor room is way hotter than the air outside.
Not sure if that’s what we want? Let’s refresh the password to Apple Notes instead:
What to Do If You Forgot Your Notes Password (on iPhone, iPad and Mac)
Time needed: 10 minutes
To recover locked notes if you forgot the password for Apple Notes:
- Unlock each locked note using Touch ID, Face ID or another biometric unlocking mechanism.
Repeat for all notes: It is imperative that you do the first three steps for all locked notes.
Important: After you have reset your Notes password (see below), you can no longer access notes locked with a previous password.
Try all devices: If your Mac does not offer Touch ID, try an iPhone; if your iPhone refuses to unlock a note with Face ID, try an iPad. - Highlight and copy all content in the note if you want to keep it.
Here’s how: On a Mac, press Command A inside the note, then Command C to copy; on an iPhone or iPad, tap inside the note and select first Select All from the context menu, then Copy.
Optional: Add an identifier to the very beginning of the note that will help you recognize locked notes using a previous password (e.g.,*defunct_pw*). - Create a new note with the previously locked note’s contents.
Here’s now: On a Mac, press Command N to create a new note, then press Command V to paste; on iPad and iPhone, tap the new note button, tap inside the new note and select Paste from the context menu.
- Reset your Apple Notes password or switch to your login password for notes; see below.
- Lock all notes you wish to be locked again.
- Optional: Delete all notes using the previous password.
Here’s why: You will not be able to access these note’s contents either way unless you recover their original password.
How to Reset Your Apple Notes Password
If you have forgotten the password for Apple Notes, you can reset it (for future notes). This
- lets you use a new password for new notes
- while it retains previous passwords for all existing notes.
Note: When you open an old note using a previous password, you can update to the new password without having to create and lock the note anew.
Using Notes on a Mac
To reset the password for locked notes on a Mac in Notes for macOS:
- Select Notes from the menu.
- Choose Preferences….
Notes keyboard shortcut: You can press Command , (comma) to open Notes settings. - Select the account for which you want to reset the password.
Notes accounts: Each account has its own passwords for locking notes; accounts include iCloud, notes kept locally on the Mac, Gmail, etc.) - Click Reset Password….
- Now click OK.
- For an iCloud Notes account, enter the iCloud password and click OK.
- Select Reset Password again.
- Enter the desired new Notes password under both Password: and Verify:.
Optional: Enter a password hint that will help you—and only you—remember the password.
Saving the password: You can also save the password to your keychain, of course.
Login password: You can also select Use Login Password for Locked notes: to use the Mac or iCloud password. - Click Set Password.
Using Notes on iPhone and iPad
To reset the Notes password for an account using Notes on iOS and iPadOS:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to the Notes category.
- Select Password.
- Chose the Notes account for which you want to change the password.
- Tap Reset Password….
- For iCloud accounts, enter the iCloud account password and select OK.
- Select Reset Password again.
- Type the password you want to use for future notes under both Password and Verify.
- Tap Done.
What to Do If You Forgot Your Notes Password (on iPhone, iPad and Mac): FAQ
Is there a way to recover an Apple Notes password?
No.
If you have lost the password you used to lock a note in Apple Notes, you have lost access to the note. You cannot recover the note password, not from any file on disk, not in iCloud and not via Apple.
What is recoverable: How to Recover a Deleted Note on Mac or iPhone
(What to do if you forgot your Apple Notes password tested with Notes on macOS Sonoma 14.1, Monterey 12.5 and iOS 15–17; updated April 2024)