Bunker vs Apple Notes locked notes

For a few lines of private text, such as a door code or a list of account numbers, a locked note in Apple Notes is free, built in and end-to-end encrypted. Bunker is the better home when the private thing is a scan, a PDF, a photo or a video, which locked notes can’t hold, or when you want a key other than your iPhone passcode and a way for your family to reach it later.

The short verdict

Use locked notes for short text you want on every Apple device, unlocked with Face ID.
Use Bunker for documents, scans, photos and videos, for notes you want behind a Pattern rather than your passcode, and for anything you’d want your trusted contacts to open one day.

Side by side

	Bunker	Apple Notes locked notes
Encryption model	Every item encrypted on your device with keys from your Pattern	End-to-end encrypted for iCloud accounts
Account required	No account, no email	Notes in iCloud use your Apple Account; locking with your passcode needs iCloud Keychain
Unlock method	Pattern on a 5 × 5 dial, optional Passphrase	iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password, with Face ID or Touch ID
Backup	Encrypted Backup to your own iCloud, free	iCloud Notes sync
Multiple vaults / decoy	Unlimited Hidden Vaults, each with its own Pattern	One Notes password per account; old passwords stay on old notes
Duress	Duress Vault (Bunker Pro)	None
Family access / legacy	Legacy Vaults (Bunker Pro)	Apple’s Legacy Contact covers Apple Account data after death
Platforms	iPhone, iPad and Mac	iPhone, iPad and Mac
Price model	Free with per-vault limits; Bunker Pro to remove them	Free, built in

Apple details come from Apple Support’s pages on locking notes, iCloud data security and Legacy Contact, checked Oct 24, 2026.

How locked notes work

Since iOS 16 you choose one of two locks. You can use your iPhone passcode, which needs iCloud Keychain turned on, or a separate password just for Notes. Apple says both keep locked notes end-to-end encrypted for iCloud accounts. To pick one, open Settings → Apps → Notes → Password (iOS 18 and later) and choose Use Device Passcode or Create Password.

A few details matter:

What you can lock. Only notes on your device or in iCloud. Apple says notes with tags, PDFs, audio, video, or Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents can’t be locked, and neither can notes you share.
How long they stay open. After you unlock a note, locked notes stay open for several minutes, and lock again when you close Notes or the device sleeps.
Forgetting a Notes password. Apple can’t help you open those notes. Resetting the password only protects notes you lock from then on.
Who can open them. If you lock with your passcode, anyone who knows your passcode can open them.

Where Bunker is different

Everything, not just text. A Bunker vault holds photos, videos, documents, scans and notes in one place, all encrypted on your device. Scan & Search scans paper with the document scanner and reads the text on your device, so you can search inside a scanned lease or passport, and inside your notes.

A key that isn’t your passcode. Each vault opens with its own Pattern, and that Pattern is the encryption key. People who know your iPhone passcode can’t open it with that.

Separate vaults. You can keep as many Hidden Vaults as you like, each with its own Pattern and no list of them anywhere. With Bunker Pro, a Duress Vault opens normally and clears the others from this device; your iCloud backup keeps them, and each comes back with its Recovery Phrase.

A plan for your family. Apple’s Legacy Contact lets someone request your Apple Account data after your death, with an access key and a death certificate. Legacy Vaults give the trusted contacts you choose a read-only copy of one vault once enough of them combine their Legacy Cards, without paperwork. In v1, enough of them together can open it at any time, including while you’re alive, so choose people you’d trust with it today. One way to set it up: Bunker suggests a “Letter to my trusted contacts” note inside a Legacy Vault; keep it next to scans of the will and insurance papers. See what to put in an “if something happens to me” folder.

Choose locked notes if…

It’s only text. A few lines that need to be on every Apple device are what locked notes do best.
You want Face ID. Locked notes open with a glance. Bunker always asks for your Pattern or Passphrase.
You live in Notes. Checklists, drawings and links stay in the app you already use.
You want it free with no limits. Bunker’s Free plan allows 20 documents and notes in total; Bunker Pro removes the limit.
You use Apple’s Legacy Contact already. Your Apple Account data, including notes, may then reach your Legacy Contact after your death, though Apple’s page doesn’t say whether that includes locked notes.

Choose Bunker if…

You need to keep scans, PDFs, photos or video private, which locked notes can’t hold.
Someone who might look knows your iPhone passcode.
You want separate private spaces.
You want your family to reach a set of documents if you can’t.

Bunker Pro is $19.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, $1.99 a week, or $39.99 once.

Limits of both

Neither protects a phone that’s already compromised. In Bunker, someone holding your unlocked phone who knows your Pattern sees that vault, and if you forget a Pattern and lose its Recovery Phrase, nobody can open it, including us. Bunker isn’t a password manager either; for logins, see password manager emergency access compared.

Questions

Are locked notes in Apple Notes encrypted?

Yes. Apple says both ways of locking notes, your iPhone passcode or a separate Notes password, keep them secure with end-to-end encryption for iCloud accounts.

Can I lock a note with a PDF or a video in it?

No. Apple says you can't lock notes that have tags, PDFs, audio, video, or Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents, and you can't lock notes you share with someone.

What happens if I forget my Notes password?

Apple can't help you open notes locked with a forgotten Notes password. Resetting the password only lets you lock new notes. Bunker works the same way in spirit: without your Pattern or Recovery Phrase, nobody can open that vault.

Should I keep account passwords in Bunker notes?

You can keep a list of where things are, but Bunker isn't a password manager: it doesn't autofill or create passkeys. For logins you use every day, a password manager is the better tool.