Published Jul 27, 2023, 3:46 PM EDT
Adilia is a lawyer and a tech enthusiast who loves to talk about music, movies, and books. She's enjoyed reading about tech since she got her first smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 520.
Despite that, she started to feel interested in writing about tech when she could afford her first MacBook.
You'll find her binge-watching her favorite Netflix shows when she's not writing or trying to read a new book.
If you own a Mac, you probably know how much Apple worries about security and privacy. All first-party apps on your Mac are built to be as secure as possible, and Apple's Notes app is no exception.
Besides being able to take notes in a flash, you can also keep your notes safe by locking them behind a password or Touch ID. Doing it requires just a few steps, and we'll explain everything you need to know.
What to Do Before Locking Notes on Your Mac
If you never customize your Notes app, you first must start using iCloud Keychain. This feature helps you secure your passwords, and for some reason, it's a requirement if you want to lock your Notes on a Mac.
If you're already using iCloud Keychain on your Mac, feel free to move on to the next section. If not, here's how to activate this feature:
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings from the menu bar.
- Click on your Apple ID name at the top.
- Now, click on iCloud.
- Scroll down and click on Passwords & Keychain.
- Toggle on Sync to this Mac to enable this feature.
And that's it. Now, you can lock your notes with just a few clicks.
How to Add a Lock to Your Notes on a Mac
Whether you're making a private to-do list or just have confidential information you don't want everyone to see, locking your notes is the best option. Here's how to get started:
- Open the Notes app and find the note that you want to lock.
- Control-click (right-click) the note and choose Lock Note.
- If prompted, enter your Mac's password to continue.
- You can choose to Lock Notes with your Login Password or Create a Separate Password.
- If possible, the Notes app will ask you to enable Touch ID.
Another way to lock a note is by clicking File in the menu bar and choosing Lock Note from the dropdown.
How to Lock or Unlock Your Notes
After adding a lock and selecting the password you want to use, you can start locking or unlocking your notes. Don't worry; just like locking notes on your iPhone, this is the easiest part.
The Notes app will add a padlock icon to your note. Unfortunately, the Notes app won't let you just lock one note. You'll need to lock all the notes at the same time and then unlock the ones you want to use.
To lock your notes, you'll need to click the padlock icon in the top-right corner of the Notes app and then select Close All Locked Notes.
Finally, to unlock your notes, choose the note you want to unlock and then enter your password or use Touch ID to unlock it.
If you forgot to lock your notes, don't worry; Notes will automatically close them after a few minutes or after you close the app.
How to Create a Custom Password to Lock Your Notes
If someone else knows your Mac's password, you have to create a custom password to lock your notes. If you didn't do it when your Mac first had the chance, you can still create it by doing the following:
- Open the Notes app.
- In the menu bar, click Notes and then go to Settings.
- Scroll down, and next to Locked Notes, click the dropdown menu.
- Select Use Custom Password.
- If necessary, use Touch ID or enter your Mac's login password to continue.
- Enter your new password, verify it, and then create a password hint to help you in case you forget it.
- When you're done, click Set Password.
Remember that you can't recover custom passwords if you forget them. This is why setting a Password Hint is important. If you feel like you may forget your custom password, we recommend using your login password instead.
How to Remove Locks From Your Notes
If you decide that you don't want to lock some of your notes anymore, you can quickly get rid of the padlock icon by doing the following:
- Click the padlock icon in the top-right corner of the app's window.
- Select Remove Lock.
The note will be public again, and you won't need to type in your password or use Touch ID to access it.
Apple makes it easy to an extra layer of security to your notes, which helps you keep confidential information away from prying eyes. Now that you know how to protect your notes on your Mac, you can use the Notes app to organize your everyday life.
For instance, you can use Notes to keep track of all your daily goals and activities or to write a journal right before you start your day.