Works for Noteshelf whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold Noteshelf's icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts Noteshelf behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode; choose Hide and Require Face ID instead to move it into App Library's Hidden folder as well.
Lock Noteshelf with Face ID
- Find Noteshelf on your Home Screen or in App Library.
- Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
- Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. Noteshelf now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close Noteshelf from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide Noteshelf in App Library
- Touch and hold Noteshelf's icon and tap Require Face ID.
- Choose Hide and Require Face ID instead of Require Face ID.
- Confirm. The icon leaves your Home Screen and moves to the Hidden folder at the bottom of App Library.
- To open it later, swipe to App Library, tap Hidden and authenticate.
Hiding also locks the app. To undo either, touch and hold the icon again and choose Don't Require Face ID.
Why lock Noteshelf?
Noteshelf's privacy label lists location — the kind of data you would not want on screen if someone borrows your unlocked phone. Notes apps quietly collect some of your most personal writing. 'Encrypted' can mean encrypted in transit, at rest on the server, or end-to-end — only the last keeps the developer out.
Productivity apps tend to collect the work you do in them — documents, notes and files — so User Content is common. The question is whether it syncs to the developer's servers and how it is protected there.
A lock answers one question — who can open the app on this iPhone. It does not change what Noteshelf sends to its developer; for that, see Noteshelf's full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time Noteshelf opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep Noteshelf's content out of Spotlight and Siri suggestions
- With Hide, remove the icon from the Home Screen
It does not
- Stop someone who knows your passcode
- Encrypt or change how Noteshelf stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove Noteshelf from purchase history or Screen Time reports
Don't see Require Face ID?
- Update to iOS 18 or later in Settings › General › Software Update.
- Make sure a passcode is set in Settings › Face ID & Passcode; the lock needs one.
- Some Apple apps (Settings, Calculator, Camera, Maps, Find My, Clock) cannot be locked or hidden.
- If your iPhone is managed by work or school, the option may be restricted.
Other settings worth checking for Noteshelf
Tracking
Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking. If “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is off, apps cannot ask, and they are told to treat you as having declined. You can also turn it off for this app alone.
Location
Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Noteshelf. Choose While Using or Never, and switch off Precise Location if a city-level answer is enough.
Sign-in
When creating an account, Sign in with Apple can give the app a relay address from Hide My Email instead of your real one.
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › Noteshelf › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Noteshelf's full privacy label
Lock these apps too
After you lock Noteshelf
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does Noteshelf have its own passcode?
What happens to Noteshelf's notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked Noteshelf encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding Noteshelf remove it from my purchase history?
Is Noteshelf safe? Full privacy report →Does Noteshelf track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All productivity apps →