Hidy VaultHidy Vault vs locked notes in Apple Notes
Apple Notes can lock individual notes with your iPhone passcode or a separate notes password, end-to-end encrypted for iCloud accounts. It's excellent for text. It can't lock notes that contain PDFs, video or audio, and passcode-locked notes open with your iPhone passcode.
- Apple Notes lock: free, built in, end-to-end encrypted for iCloud notes. Best for text, logins and short records.
- It can't lock notes with PDFs, audio, video, tags or iWork files, or shared notes.
- Hidy Vault: for files, photos and notes together, behind a pattern your passcode doesn't open.
Side by side
| Apple Notes lock | Hidy Vault | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens with | iPhone passcode, or a notes password; Face ID or Touch ID | A pattern, per vault |
| Text notes | Yes | Yes, plain text |
| PDFs, video, audio | Can't be locked | Yes, any file from Files |
| Photos | Images inside a note | Full photo and video vault |
| Stays open | Several minutes | Locks when Hidy leaves the screen |
| Sync | iCloud, end-to-end encrypted | Optional, encrypted, through your iCloud |
| Cost | Free | Free for 3 vaults |
Checked 22 October 2026. Apple details from Apple Support, linked below.
Where Apple Notes is the right choice
For passwords you can't put in a password manager, account numbers, door codes and short private records, a locked note is quick and well protected. Apple says both lock options use end-to-end encryption for iCloud accounts. If you choose a separate notes password, your iPhone passcode doesn't open those notes.
Hidy Vault keeps photos, videos and documents in encrypted vaults that open only with a pattern you draw. No account, no Hidy server. Free for 3 vaults.
Where it falls short
- Files can't be locked. Apple says notes with PDFs, audio, video, tags or Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents can't be locked. Scanned IDs saved as PDFs are exactly the files people want to protect.
- Passcode mode shares the phone's key. If you lock notes with the device passcode, anyone with the passcode can open them.
- Open for several minutes. Convenient, but a note you just viewed is still open if you hand over the phone.
What Hidy adds
- Any file type in the same encrypted vault as photos and notes. See documents and notes.
- A separate pattern per vault and immediate locking when you leave the app.
- A camera that captures documents straight into the vault.
Where Hidy is weaker
- Notes in Hidy are plain text, without Apple Notes' formatting, checklists or drawing.
- It's another app to install and remember, and its pattern can't be reset.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use my iPhone passcode or a separate notes password?
Apple lets you choose. A separate notes password means someone with your iPhone passcode can't open those notes, but if you forget it, Apple can't recover locked notes.
Can I lock a note that has a PDF in it?
No. Apple Notes can't lock notes that contain PDFs, audio, video, tags or Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents.
How long does a locked note stay open?
Apple says locked notes stay open for several minutes and lock again when you close Notes or the device sleeps.
