How to lock the Notes app on a Mac
Short answer: macOS has no built-in way to lock a single app as a whole, and that includes Notes. Apple's own Support Communities are direct about it — "It is not possible to lock apps individually." Notes does have one piece of native protection, but it only covers part of the problem.
Why people want to lock Notes specifically
"when I'm handing my Mac to my wife to show her something quickly. I don't want her poking around in the notes app"— Apple Support Communities
Notes is where a lot of genuinely sensitive things end up almost by accident — draft messages, private journaling, half-finished lists you'd rather not explain, sometimes even passwords jotted down for convenience. It's easy to forget it's sensitive until someone else is looking at your screen.
What Apple Notes already does — and where it stops
Apple Notes does let you lock individual notes with a password or Touch ID (File → Lock Note). It's real protection for whatever is inside that note. But it only hides the content: the note's title still shows in the sidebar and in search results, you have to lock notes one at a time, and there's no way to lock the app as a whole — so anything you didn't think to lock is still one click away.
What else doesn't work
A second user account means logging out first, which defeats a quick handoff. FileVault only protects the disk while it's powered off. Screen Time is built for managing a child's account, not for shielding one app on your own Mac.
What actually works
Shoo! locks the entire Notes app by ending its process, so there's nothing left to browse — no unlocked note titles in the sidebar, no folder list to skim. It reopens only after Touch ID, Apple Watch, or a private backup password succeeds.
Try it free for 7 days — full functionality, no credit card, $17.99 once if you keep it.
Frequently asked
Can I lock just the Notes app on a Mac?
Yes — Shoo! locks the entire Notes app, including the sidebar and note titles, not just the content of individual notes.
Doesn't Apple Notes already let me lock individual notes?
It does — File → Lock Note protects that note's content with a password or Touch ID. The limitation is that titles still show in the sidebar and search, locking is one note at a time, and there's no way to lock the app as a whole.
What's the difference between locking a note and locking the app?
Locking a note hides only that note's content while everything else in Notes stays fully visible. Locking the app with Shoo! stops Notes from opening at all until you unlock it, so nothing in it — locked notes or not — is visible in the meantime.
Can I open Notes with Touch ID after locking it with Shoo!?
Yes. Once Notes is locked it only opens after Touch ID succeeds. If your Mac has no Touch ID, you can confirm with Apple Watch (double-press the side button) or a private backup password that is separate from your Mac login password.
Is Notes still protected if I switch desktops or come back to it later?
Yes. Shoo! does not draw an overlay or check only at launch. It ends the Notes process when locked, so switching Spaces or returning to the app later can't show what was on screen. It reopens only after you verify.