Face ID Not Working in Notes: 6 Fixes

If Face ID works everywhere else on your iPhone but fails specifically inside the Notes app, the issue is almost always a per-app permission or a Notes-specific setting, not a hardware problem. The top fix is to check the Notes app’s Face ID toggle in Settings – it gets switched off accidentally more often than you’d think. If that doesn’t do it, the next most likely culprits are a stale lock screen state or an outdated iOS, both of which have quick, low-risk fixes.

What to Look For

Before you start resetting anything, understand what actually causes Face ID to fail in Notes. The criteria that matter are:

• Permission state: Notes has a dedicated “Locked Notes” Face ID setting. If it’s off, Face ID never gets asked for.
• App-specific vs. system-wide: If Face ID fails only in Notes but works for unlocking your phone, the problem is not your face or the TrueDepth camera – it’s the app’s configuration or its saved state.
• Locked note settings: Notes can be set to lock immediately or wait a period of time. If it’s set to “wait,” Face ID may not be triggered when you open a locked note.
• Software version: Notes’ lock feature has had bugs in specific iOS releases. A pending update can carry the fix.
• Face ID enrollment health: If you recently changed your appearance (glasses, beard, mask) or your Face ID data is stale, the system may reject you even when the app is configured correctly.
• Restart state: After a reboot, iOS requires your passcode before Face ID can be used for anything. If you haven’t unlocked since restarting, Face ID will silently fail in Notes.

Fix 1: Turn On Face ID for Notes in Settings

Strengths: This is the most direct fix and takes 10 seconds. It addresses the root cause when the toggle was off.

Trade-offs: If the toggle is already on, this won’t help. It also doesn’t fix cases where Face ID is failing due to a system glitch.

Steps:

1. Open Settings → Notes.
2. Scroll down to LOCKED NOTES.
3. Tap Use Face ID (or Use Touch ID on older models) to turn it on (green).
4. If it was already on, toggle it off, wait 2 seconds, and toggle it back on.

Who it suits best: Anyone who has never explicitly set this up, or who recently restored from a backup and lost the setting.

Fix 2: Unlock Your iPhone with Your Passcode After a Restart

Strengths: This is a security feature, not a bug. After you restart your iPhone, iOS requires your passcode once before Face ID can be used for any app, including Notes. Entering your passcode once re-enables Face ID for everything.

Trade-offs: If you haven’t restarted recently, this won’t apply. It’s a one-time fix, not a cure for a persistent issue.

Steps:

1. Press the side button to wake your iPhone.
2. Swipe up from the bottom (or press Home on older models).
3. Enter your passcode when prompted.
4. Try opening a locked note again – Face ID should now work.

Who it suits best: Anyone who just rebooted their phone or hasn’t unlocked it since the last restart.

Fix 3: Change the Locked Note Timeout Setting

Strengths: This fixes the “Face ID never triggers” issue when Notes is set to keep notes unlocked for a long time after viewing.

Trade-offs: It doesn’t help if Face ID is failing immediately after opening a note; it only helps when Notes decides not to ask for authentication at all.

Steps:

1. Open Settings → Notes → Locked Notes.
2. Tap Timeout and choose Immediately.
3. Now, every time you close a locked note and reopen it, Notes will require Face ID.

Who it suits best: Users who find that locked notes stay open for minutes or hours, making Face ID seem unnecessary and then failing when it’s finally needed.

Fix 4: Update iOS to the Latest Version

Strengths: Apple periodically fixes Notes-specific Face ID bugs in iOS updates. If you’re on an older version, updating is the most reliable long-term fix.

Trade-offs: Updates take time and require Wi-Fi and battery. If you’re already on the latest version, this won’t change anything.

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → General → Software Update.
2. If an update is available, tap Download and Install.
3. Wait for the phone to restart and try Notes again.

Who it suits best: Anyone who hasn’t updated in months, or who started having the issue right after a major iOS release that had known Notes lock bugs.

Fix 5: Re-Enroll Face ID

Strengths: If your face has changed (weight change, new glasses, grown a beard, or you’re now wearing a mask), re-enrolling gives the TrueDepth camera a fresh template. This fixes cases where Face ID works sometimes but fails in Notes because the match confidence is low.

Trade-offs: It takes a few minutes and requires you to remove any mask or heavy eyewear during setup. It doesn’t fix app-specific permission issues.

Steps:

1. Go to Settings → Face ID & Passcode.
2. Enter your passcode.
3. Tap Reset Face ID.
4. Tap Set Up Face ID and follow the prompts, moving your head in a circle twice.

Who it suits best: Users whose Face ID has become less reliable across all apps, not just Notes.

Fix 6: Force Quit and Relaunch Notes

Strengths: This clears a stuck Notes process that might be holding onto a bad lock state. It’s the quickest fix to try and costs nothing.

Trade-offs: It’s a temporary fix – if the underlying issue is a setting or a bug, it will come back.

Steps:

1. Swipe up from the bottom and pause (or double-click Home on older models) to open the App Switcher.
2. Swipe up on the Notes card to close it.
3. Tap the Notes icon to reopen it and try a locked note again.

Who it suits best: Anyone who just started experiencing the issue after a long Notes session or after switching between multiple notes quickly.

How to Choose

Start with the cheapest and fastest fixes, then move to more invasive ones. There’s no budget concern here – all fixes are free. The trade-off is time and effort.

If you’re in a hurry: Try Fix 2 (passcode after restart) and Fix 6 (force quit) first. They take under a minute each and resolve the most common temporary glitches.

If you have 2 minutes: Go to Settings → Notes and check the Face ID toggle (Fix 1). This is the single most common cause of Face ID not working in Notes specifically.

If you have 10 minutes: Do Fix 4 (update iOS) and Fix 5 (re-enroll Face ID). These address deeper software and biometric issues.

If none of these work: The problem may be a corrupted Notes database or a hardware issue with the TrueDepth camera. In that case, back up your iPhone and consider restoring from a backup, or contact Apple Support for diagnostics. Do not attempt to disassemble the phone yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Face ID work for unlocking my phone but not in Notes?

Because Notes has its own separate Face ID permission. If that toggle is off in Settings → Notes, the app won’t ask for Face ID at all. Unlocking your phone uses a different system-level permission that is always on.

I see a message “Enter Password to Enable Face ID” in Notes. What does that mean?

That means Notes is asking for your Notes password (the one you set for locked notes) to re-enable Face ID. This happens after a restart or after you haven’t unlocked a locked note for a long time. Enter your Notes password once, and Face ID will work again.

Does Face ID in Notes work with a mask?

Only if you have an iPhone model that supports Face ID with a mask (iPhone 12 and later) and you’ve enabled that setting in Settings → Face ID & Passcode. If not, you’ll need to use your passcode or Apple Watch to unlock notes.

I changed my Notes password and now Face ID doesn’t work. What should I do?

Changing the Notes password can invalidate the Face ID token. Go to Settings → Notes → Locked Notes and toggle Face ID off and on again. You may also need to enter your new password once to re-authenticate.

Will resetting Face ID delete my locked notes?

No. Resetting Face ID only removes your face template from the phone. Your notes remain encrypted and locked. You’ll just need to use your passcode to unlock them until you set up Face ID again.

Can I use Touch ID instead of Face ID for Notes on an iPhone with Face ID?

No. If your iPhone has Face ID, it doesn’t have Touch ID. You can use your passcode as a fallback, but there’s no fingerprint option on Face ID models.

Bottom Line

For most people, the fix is simply turning on Face ID in Settings → Notes. If that’s already on, restart your phone and enter your passcode once. If the issue persists, update iOS and then re-enroll Face ID. These six steps cover 95% of cases where Face ID fails in Notes but works elsewhere. If you’ve tried all six and still have trouble, the issue is likely hardware-related, and you should contact Apple Support.

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