Works for Shortnotes whether or not it has its own passcode. No download needed.
Touch and hold Shortnotes' icon, tap Require Face ID, then confirm. On iOS 18 and later that puts Shortnotes 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 Shortnotes with Face ID
- Find Shortnotes 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. Shortnotes now asks for authentication every time it opens.
To test it, close Shortnotes from the App Switcher and open it again. You should see the Face ID prompt before any content appears.
Hide Shortnotes in App Library
- Touch and hold Shortnotes' 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 Shortnotes?
Shortnotes is a encrypted notes app, the kind of app that tends to hold personal information 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 Shortnotes sends to its developer; for that, see Shortnotes' full privacy report.
What the lock does and does not do
It does
- Ask for Face ID, Touch ID or passcode every time Shortnotes opens
- Hide message previews in notifications
- Keep Shortnotes' 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 Shortnotes stores data
- Sync to your iPad or other devices
- Remove Shortnotes 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 Shortnotes
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.
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 › Shortnotes › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Shortnotes' full privacy label
Lock these apps too
After you lock Shortnotes
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
FAQ
Does Shortnotes have its own passcode?
What happens to Shortnotes' notifications when it is locked?
Can someone who knows my passcode open a locked app?
Is a locked Shortnotes encrypted?
Why can't I see the Require Face ID option?
Does hiding Shortnotes remove it from my purchase history?
Is Shortnotes safe? Full privacy report →Does Shortnotes track you? →Lock an app: A–Z →All productivity apps →