You can still use a specific password to lock up your Apple Notes, but iOS 16 also lets you use your device passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID.

If you’re an iPhone user, your Notes app is likely filled with stuff (like your amateur poetry and passwords) that you don’t want other people to read. Apple knows that too, which is why iOS lets you lock any note behind a passcode, password, Face ID, or Touch ID.

Apple has long provided a way for the Notes app to secure individual notes with a password or biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID) to unlock them. But things are changing slightly with iOS 16.

With iOS 15 (or older) installed, you need to set a specific password to lock your notes behind. That password must then be entered whenever you want to open a locked note, but there’s one annoyance: remembering that password isn’t always easy.

With iOS 16, Notes can use your iPhone’s passcode instead, which is way simpler. You can still use Face ID/Touch ID, too.

Remember: Using your iPhone’s passcode means that any note locked using your iPhone’s passcode will not be available on iPads and Macs that aren’t yet updated to iPadOS 16 (or later) and macOS Ventura (or later) respectively.

If all of your devices have been updated, using your passcode to lock notes only takes a few taps.

You can also enable Face ID/Touch ID by switching the toggle to the “On” position.

You can set a new password for all of your notes if you’d rather not use your iPhone’s passcode.

Enabling a passcode or password lock is only half of the job and you can add and remove locks for individual notes as required.

A passcode or password or Face ID/Touch ID authentication is required whenever you open a locked note.

You can open a locked note by tapping it and then providing the information required. That means entering a passcode, password, or using Face ID/Touch ID.

The note remains unlocked until you switch apps or tap “Lock Now” at the bottom of the main Notes screen.