notesnook/docs/help/contents/lock-notes-with-private-vault.md

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title: Locking notes with private vault
description: Password protect your most important and sensitive notes with private vault and store them encrypted even on your device.
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# Locking notes

Notesnook is a private notes app. All your notes are encrypted and secure by default. We can not read your notes even if we want to on our servers. However you can still add an extra layer of security and encrypt your most important and sensitive notes by adding them to a vault.

Adding notes to private vault is useful when you do not want anyone to read your notes, _even if they have access to your phone_.

## Creating a vault

# [Desktop/Web](#/tab/web)

1. Go to Settings from Sidebar.
2. Click on `Create a vault` in `Vault` section.
3. Enter the password for the vault in dialog.
4. Click on create to create the vault.
5. Now you will be able to lock your notes with the password for vault.

# [Mobile](#/tab/mobile)

1. Go to Settings from Sidebar
2. Scroll down to `Privacy and Security` section
3. Press on `Create vault`
4. Enter password for the vault and reenter to confirm.
5. Press on `Create` button to create the vault.
6. Now you will be able to lock your notes with the password for vault.

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## Lock a note

# [Desktop/Web](#/tab/web)

1. Right click on any note
2. Select `Lock` from the `Note properties` menu
3. Enter the password for the vault in dialog.
4. Click on Lock to lock the note.

# [Mobile](#/tab/mobile)

1. Press on the `three-dot menu` button
2. Press on `Add to vault` button in `Note properties` menu
3. Enter password for the vault
4. Press on `Lock` to add note to vault.

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## Open/edit/delete a locked note

To open, edit or delete a locked note, you must provide the password for the vault to unlock it.

## Unlock a note permanently

# [Desktop/Web](#/tab/web)

1. Right click on any note
2. Select `Unlock` from the `Note properties` menu
3. Enter the password for the vault in dialog.
4. Click on Unlock to remove note from vault

# [Mobile](#/tab/mobile)

1. Press on the `three-dot menu` button
2. Press on `Remove from vault` button in `Note properties` menu
3. Enter password for the vault
4. Press on `Unlock` to remove note from vault.

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## Change vault password

# [Desktop/Web](#/tab/web)

1. Go to Settings from Sidebar.
2. Click on `Change vault password` in `Vault` section.
3. Enter the old and new password for the vault in dialog.
4. Click on Change to update password
5. All your locked notes will be encrypted with the new password.

# [Mobile](#/tab/mobile)

1. Go to Settings from Sidebar.
2. Scroll down to `Privacy and Security` section
3. Press on `Change vault password`
4. Click on Change to update password
5. All your locked notes will be encrypted with the new password.

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## Clear vault

# [Desktop/Web](#/tab/web)

1. Go to Settings from Sidebar.
2. Go to `Privacy and Security` section and Click on `Clear vault`.
3. Enter your vault password and click on clear vault. All notes in the vault will be deleted.

# [Mobile](#/tab/mobile)

1. Go to Settings from Sidebar.
2. Scroll down to `Privacy and Security` and go to `Vault`
3. Tap on `Clear vault`
4. Enter your vault password and tap on `Clear`. All notes in the vault will be deleted.

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## Delete vault

In the event that you have forgotten your vault password, you can delete the vault and optionally delete all the notes in it.

# [Desktop/Web](#/tab/web)

1. Go to Settings from Sidebar.
2. Go to `Privacy and Security` section and Click on `Delete vault`.
3. Enter your account password and click on clear vault. All notes in the vault will be deleted.

# [Mobile](#/tab/mobile)

1. Go to Settings from Sidebar.
2. Scroll down to `Privacy and Security` and go to `Vault`
3. Tap on `Clear vault`
4. Enter your account password and tap on `Delete`. The vault will be deleted.

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