iPhone locked notes vs a vault app
A locked note encrypts its text and supported attachments under a password or your iPhone passcode, and it suits short sensitive text such as a list of codes or an address. A vault app is built for many photos, videos and documents, with folders. They are tools for different jobs, and many people sensibly use both.
What a locked note does
Apple's support page says you can lock a note with your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password, and that both options use end-to-end encryption for iCloud accounts. Apple's security guide says the note and its attachments are encrypted with AES-GCM, with a key derived from your passphrase using PBKDF2 and SHA-256. That is a sound basis for the job it does.
The details matter, and Apple documents several limits:
- Using your passcode needs iCloud Keychain to be on. A separate Notes password does not.
- A forgotten Notes password cannot be rescued. Apple says it has no access to locked notes and cannot help you open them. Resetting the password lets you lock new notes but does not unlock earlier ones.
- Some notes cannot be locked. Apple lists notes with tags, PDFs, audio, video, and Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents; notes in some mail accounts that sync over IMAP; and notes you share with others. Notes cannot be locked under a Managed Apple Account.
- Face ID or Touch ID can be turned on for opening locked notes, if your device has them.
The pages we read did not say how titles, search or previews of locked notes are treated, so we make no claim about them. Check on your own phone before you rely on them.
What a vault app does
A vault app stores many items, usually photos, videos and files, behind its own lock, and organises them. The good ones encrypt each item, keep the key off the phone's plain storage and have a recovery route. The differences from notes are practical rather than mathematical:
| Locked notes | A vault app | |
|---|---|---|
| Suited to | Short text, a few supported attachments | Many photos, videos, PDFs and documents |
| Video, PDF, audio | Not lockable, per Apple | Supported by StrongRoom (any file from Files, photos, videos) |
| Lock | Passcode or a Notes password | A separate pattern or passphrase |
| Face ID | Optional | Not used by StrongRoom, on purpose |
| Where it lives | In the Notes app | StrongRoom stays on the phone |
| If you forget it | Apple cannot help | StrongRoom has a Recovery Phrase and optional Recovery PIN |
Which to use
- Use a locked note for a short piece of text you may want to read often: a list of codes you have also written down, a note of a hard-to-remember address. It is quick and already on your phone.
- Use a vault app for photos of documents, IDs, medical papers, videos and anything bulky. Notes cannot lock video or PDFs, per Apple's page, so a vault is the better fit.
- Use neither as your only copy of something you cannot lose. A note locked with a forgotten password, or a Vault with no Export Package, is gone.
One more difference: a locked note with the passcode option shares your phone's passcode. Anyone who knows your passcode can open it. A vault with its own pattern or passphrase does not share it.
What StrongRoom adds, and what it does not
StrongRoom stores any file from Files, photos and videos you pick, and photos and video you take inside it. Each item has its own AES-256-GCM key. It needs no account and keeps nothing in the cloud. It does not have notes or text items, and it cannot rename items. It cannot back up for you, so make an Export Package. No outside expert has checked the app yet. What StrongRoom does not protect against
For the buyer's checklist, see the pillar. -> /guides/choosing-a-vault-app/how-to-choose-a-photo-vault-app/ For passwords and logins, which neither fits, see the next guide. -> /guides/choosing-a-vault-app/keychain-vs-vault-app/ For recovery, see why a forgotten vault password matters. I forgot my photo vault password. What can I do?
Frequently asked questions
Is Locked Notes secure?
Apple says locked notes use end-to-end encryption for iCloud accounts. It has limits: some attachments cannot be locked, and a forgotten Notes password cannot be recovered.
Can I lock notes with a video or PDF?
Apple says you cannot lock notes with PDFs, audio or video.
Can I use Notes instead of a vault for photos?
Notes can lock some attachments, but it is built for text. For many photos, videos and documents, a vault suits better.
Does StrongRoom have notes?
No. It stores photos, videos and files.
Sources
- How to lock or unlock notes on your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.
- Secure features in the Notes app (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.